Five Things to Know About Practice Assessments
Part of the College’s Quality Assurance Program, practice assessments focus on the processes you use to deliver patient care in your place of practice. The practice assessment is designed to increase adherence to practice standards, help you use your full scope, and provide you with education and support to enable optimal patient health outcomes.
Here are five things to keep in mind about practice assessments.
Practice advisors are practicing pharmacy professionals.
All College practice advisors are practicing Part A pharmacists or Part A pharmacy technicians. They use their experience in diverse practice settings to provide peer-to-peer coaching and constructive feedback. For example, a pharmacy technician practicing in hospital will be assessed by an advisor who has also worked in a hospital setting.
The focus is on the processes you use in your day-to-day work, not your clinical knowledge.
The practice assessment focuses on the processes used to deliver patient care, in alignment with the standards of practice.
Depending on your role and place of practice, the practice advisor will use the community pharmacist practice assessment criteria, the hospital, family health team and long-term care pharmacist practice assessment criteria, or the pharmacy technician practice assessment criteria (all settings).
Pharmacist assessments focus on patient assessment, decision making, documentation and communication and education. Pharmacy technician assessments focus on patient care support activities, collaboration and decision making, documentation and communication.
For each area of focus, specific performance indicators — which describe the minimum practice requirement for all pharmacists or pharmacy technicians — are identified in the criteria. The guidance section of the criteria illustrates how each performance indicator will apply in practice and provides examples of activities that support each standard. You are strongly encouraged to self-assess your own practice against the criteria documents ahead of the practice assessment, as well as throughout your career.
It’s a conversation to support your learning and development.
During the practice assessment, your practice advisor will use a combination of observation, review of documentation, and discussion to evaluate the processes you have in place.
Throughout the assessment, the practice advisor will:
- provide feedback outlining areas where you are doing well and meeting standards
- identify areas where there is an opportunity for improvement
- offer support through coaching and conversation
- explore the thinking behind certain actions and activities
- indicate where to access helpful resources
After your assessment, you will receive feedback in a report available to you in your online OCP account. Results are typically available within 48 business hours. The report is focused on opportunities for learning and resources to help practice.
The results of a practice assessment remain confidential as part of the College’s Quality Assurance Program and are not shared with employers, managers, directors, pharmacy owners or colleagues.
The process is focused on education.
If you do not meet the standards required on your first practice assessment, you will be given the option to spend time with a quality assurance coach. This session can be completed virtually or in-person.
This coach is not a College staff member, but rather a pharmacy peer (Part A registrant) who is trained by the College on how to coach for change. The coach provides support specifically in areas where there is room for improvement and reinforces areas where you meet the standards. This one-time collaborative coaching session focuses on your specific practice and assessment. Working with the coach provides opportunities to discuss strategies and practical suggestions on how to implement changes to enhance your practice and the care you provide to patients. Following coaching you will be reassessed by a different College practice advisor.
If your second practice assessment identifies significant areas that require improvement, you will be required to undergo a QA assessment by a College-appointed peer QA assessor (this does not affect your ability to practice). Additionally, pharmacists must complete a proctored knowledge assessment. If you are unsuccessful on the QA assessment or knowledge assessment, the QA Committee will review the results and recommend required remediation based on your needs (for example, completing a course related to the standards you have not met).
A practice assessment must be completed when you are selected.
Participation in the Quality Assurance Program, which includes practice assessments, is a requirement under the Regulated Health Professions Act for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Part A of the register.
Deferrals of practice assessments may be requested for medical reasons, leaves of absence (for example, maternity, parental, medical), and pre-booked travel. Failure to participate in the practice assessment when selected (without a valid deferral) will result in a referral to the Quality Assurance Committee. The Committee has the authority to direct actions that can significantly impact your ability to practice, including transferring your certificate of registration from Part A to Part B of the Register.
A Recent Practice Assessment Experience
“One surprisingly positive aspect of the practice assessment was how relaxed and supportive the atmosphere felt. Rather than being critical or stressful, it was more of a peer-to-peer conversation where the assessor shared ideas, experiences, and practical tips. There was no pressure for me to have perfect answers. The experience encouraged open communication, informative education, and building confidence through constructive dialogue. The meeting ended with me feeling grateful for the learning opportunity and, in my opinion, this should be viewed as an opportunity rather than an obligation.”
– Sue Cauduro, pharmacist in community practice
