When regulatory changes came into effect on January 1, 2023 authorizing pharmacists to prescribe medications for a list of 13 minor ailments, patients immediately took notice. The ability to visit a local pharmacy and be treated for any of the 13 common conditions made it faster and easier to access care—and the data below from the first several months of 2023 show just how many patients took advantage of their pharmacist’s expanded scope. According to…
Throughout May 2023, over 3,200 Part A pharmacists completed the College’s Knowledge Assessment. As the newest component of the Quality Assurance Program, the Knowledge Assessment assesses pharmacists’ ability to apply their clinical knowledge and their knowledge of current legislation and ethical obligations to everyday patient care. With a focus on engagement and ongoing learning, the Knowledge Assessment works alongside the other elements of the Quality Assurance Program (learning portfolio, self-assessment and practice assessment) to optimize patient…
Ian Stewart, B.Sc.Phm., R.Ph. Though a larger number of prescribers are using computerized software to generate prescriptions, many prescribers continue to write prescriptions by hand, which increases the potential for misinterpretation. To ensure the correct interpretation of the prescriber’s intent, the importance of completing a therapeutic patient assessment cannot be over-emphasized, as the following case highlights. Case: Rx: A seventy-five-year-old patient presented the above prescription to her local community pharmacy for processing. Upon entering the…
Part 1 of this series on transitions of care, Improving Transitions of Care Upon Admission to Hospital: The Role for Community Pharmacy Professionals was published in March 2023 and focused on how community pharmacy professionals can support quality care when their patient is admitted to hospital. In this Part 2, we will focus on how to support the transition home. Team-Based Effort All healthcare professionals have a responsibility to work collaboratively to support safe and effective…
Connor Gibney (he/him) works as a pharmacist in Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village where he serves the community’s 2SLGBTQI+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex) patients. Pharmacy Connection chatted with Connor about providing safe, relevant care and the tools he and his pharmacy team use to support inclusive pharmacy care. Pharmacy Connection: What does safe and relevant care mean to you and how can we recognize it in action? Connor Gibney: Overall, 2SLGBTQI+ patients and particularly…
Kathy Vu1,2, Daniela Gallo-Hershberg1,21. Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)2. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto Background on Biologics and Biosimilars Biosimilars are not new to Canada and we have learned much about them since the first biosimilar was marketed in 2009 (somatropin). Check out the Pharmacy Connection article “Biosimilars and Biologics: Navigating the Uncertainty in Ontario” for background information on originator and biosimilar biologics. Ontario Drug Benefit’s Biosimilar Switching Policy Ontario has joined…
By: Melanie Dorey R.Ph.T and Kate Douglass, MS, RNThe authors gratefully acknowledge Jennifer Mosher BScPharm, RPh for the review of this article. Many pharmacy professionals may focus only on antineoplastic chemotherapy agents when considering hazardous drug (HD) compounding. However, both sterile or nonsterile HD compounding includes many additional non-antineoplastic drugs from the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) List of Hazardous Drugs in the Healthcare Setting, 2016[1] Examples of non-antineoplastic hazardous drugs commonly…
At its March 21 meeting, the Ontario College of Pharmacists’ Board of Directors approved updates to the Designated Manager – Medication Procurement and Inventory Management Policy. The approval of this policy means that community pharmacies are required to use time-delayed safes for securing narcotics. “Pharmacy robberies can negatively impact your business and your pharmacy team’s psychological health,” says Antony Henen, Designated Manager at an independent pharmacy in Markham. An important tool to help protect pharmacy…
Decisions of the Discipline Committee between February 2023 and April 2023. Amro Noureldin (OCP #215249) At a hearing on February 8, 2023, a Panel of the Discipline Committee made findings of professional misconduct against Amro Noureldin, while engaged in the practice of pharmacy as a relief pharmacist and/or dispensing pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacy in Kenora, Ontario (the “Pharmacy”) in that he stole, misappropriated, and/or took without authorization drugs from the Pharmacy. READ MORE…
The College has seen an increase in the use of unsecured electronic methods by pharmacy professionals and other healthcare professionals to communicate with each other and with patients for purposes such as information gathering, the provision of care, consultations, education, and administrative tasks. These methods can include email, text message, social media, and messaging services such as Whatsapp or Facebook messenger. However, the use of these technologies, instead of systems such as EMRs, clinical viewers…
