Practice Insight explores concerns reported to the College that present learning opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. This example reminds registrants that therapeutic checks must be done for every refill. Note: While there were multiple registrants involved in the complaint below, this column will focus only on one registrant. A Medication Error is Made Repeatedly A complainant reported that their five-year-old child had been repeatedly provided with the wrong medication. The child was prescribed tacrolimus…
The College’s practice advisors regularly assess pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in their place of practice. During practice assessments, advisors have noted some common areas where registrants are not meeting the expectations of the Standards of Practice. Here are five practice essentials to support safe and quality patient care: READ A TEXT ONLY VERSION OF THE ABOVE GRAPHIC Accountability for therapeutic checks must be clearly documented.Patient education is a requirement, not an option.Document, document, document.Patient health…
All pharmacy professionals in Ontario are required to take part in the Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety (AIMS) Program. As part of AIMS, pharmacy professionals must anonymously record medication incidents and near misses in the AIMS Pharmapod medication event recording platform. Registrants often have questions about why they need to record events that don’t reach the patient – here are a few reasons why it’s important to record near misses and when it’s important…
Ian Stewart, B.Sc.Phm., R.Ph. Pharmacists must take all necessary steps to ensure that the correct medication is given to the correct patient, in the correct dose, in the correct strength, with the correct instructions for use as intended by the prescriber. This includes instances where a patient may present a prescription to a pharmacy staff member for products that are Schedule II, Schedule III or unscheduled. These cases highlight the potential for medication errors if…
While there is no single way to detect a forgery, there are several red flags or other factors that should prompt you to take additional care in verifying that the prescription is legitimate. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of pharmacists to ensure that all prescriptions received are complete, authentic and appropriate. In addition to receiving reports about the loss or theft of controlled substances, Health Canada also has teams of inspectors who, using a risk-based…
As Canadians recognize Truth and Reconciliation Week (September 25-30) and mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, Pharmacy Connection is sharing key resources to support registrants in enhancing the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples living in Ontario. The following free resources support truth and reconciliation, and culturally competent healthcare. National Centre for Truth and ReconciliationLearn about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, residential school history and access…
Practice Insight explores concerns reported to the College as part of the complaints and reports process that present learning opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The College is focused on resolving complaints earlier in the process for low-risk matters. This can provide a more satisfactory outcome for the patient, better address the patient’s concerns, and ensure that the public is protected, while also enabling a quicker timeline for resolution, as the following case shows. A…
As part of the College’s Quality Assurance (QA) Program, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are selected to undergo routine practice assessments. The assessment is an evaluation of individual performance and occurs in the place of practice with a College practice advisor. Registrants may have misconceptions about the what, when, why and how of practice assessments – here are six of the most common myths that we hear. Myth: Practice advisors don’t have real world pharmacy experience.…
Decisions of the Discipline Committee between April and June 2023. Shabuddin Syed (OCP #614650) At a hearing on April 27, 2023, a Panel of the Discipline Committee made findings of professional misconduct against Shabuddin Syed in that he: READ MORE Failed to successfully complete the ProBE Program on Ethics for Healthcare Professionals with an unconditional pass, at his expense, by the date required in an order of a panel of the Discipline Committee of the…
The College is seeking pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to join one of our working groups as an exam question writer, standard setter or exam reviewer. These roles are vital to supporting the College’s mandate – their work helps ensure the competency of Ontario’s current and future pharmacy professionals and supports the delivery of safe, quality and ethical care to Ontarians. Pharmacy Connection chatted with three exam writers to learn about their experiences as members of…
