Pharmacies > Operating a Community Pharmacy > Pharmacy Accreditation Annual Renewal

Pharmacy Accreditation Annual Renewal

All accredited pharmacies in Ontario must complete an application for renewal of their Certificate of Accreditation annually, on or before May 10.

Subsection 14(1) of O. Reg. 264/16 under the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, 1990, sets out the requirements to qualify for renewal. A holder of a Certificate of Accreditation is qualified to renew their certificate if the certificate holder meets the following requirements:

  1. The certificate holder files a completed application in the form required by the College and pays the required fees.
  2. The certificate holder provides further information to the College if requested by the Registrar or the Accreditation Committee.
  3. All information provided by the certificate holder to the College is full, accurate and complete.
  4. There is no default in the payment of any fees required by the College to be paid or any money owed to the College in relation to the pharmacy.
  5. The past and present conduct of each person who is a certificate holder affords reasonable grounds for the belief that the pharmacy will be operated with decency, honesty and integrity and in accordance with the law.
  6. In the case of a corporation, the past and present conduct of each director of the corporation affords reasonable grounds for the belief that the pharmacy will be operated with decency, honesty and integrity and in accordance with the law.
  7. The operation of the pharmacy is in compliance with the Act, the regulations under the Act and the by-laws of the College governing the establishment and operation of the pharmacy.

The College is responsible for maintaining this process as well as providing notification and applicable timelines to the certificate holder.

Fees

All renewal fees can be found in the Schedule of Fees.

Hospital Pharmacies

Every year in January, the College will notify the designated contact for the hospital pharmacy by email of the requirement to renew their Certificate of Accreditation. They must complete the annual renewal form and submit it to the College with a current corporation profile report and annual renewal fee. 

Community Pharmacies

Every year in early April, the College will directly notify the Director Liaison and Designated Manager appointed by the Director Liaison, to renew the pharmacy’s Certificate of Accreditation by completing the annual renewal online from within their registrant portal. For your reference, the following directions will accompany the notification for community pharmacies to assist you in the filing process.

Before you begin you will need:

  • Credit card if paying online
  • User ID: Your OCP number
  • Password: If you have forgotten your password, visit our Forgot Password page.

Once you’re ready:

  • Login to My Account
  • Enter your User ID (your OCP number) and your password
  • Once you have successfully logged in, select “Accreditation Renewal”

The accreditation renewal application is made up of the following three steps. Each step must be completed for successful pharmacy accreditation renewal:

1. Corporation Information Renewal (Must be completed by the Director Liaison)

Director Liaisons will be guided through information pertaining to the corporation which owns and operates the pharmacy/pharmacies – this information requires verification and/or updating. This information is only viewable by the Director Liaison of the corporation. A Designated Manager is not permitted to verify or update corporate information.

2. Pharmacy Information Renewal

Here, you will be guided through information about the pharmacy which requires verification and/or updating.

3. Payment

  • Payment by credit card

It’s quick, easy and secure. Pay online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

  • Payment by cheque or money order

Print and submit your Information Renewal Confirmation along with your cheque or money order made payable to the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Please write the accreditation number of the pharmacy on your payment and ensure the cheque is signed.

Please ensure that all information submitted is complete and accurate, and that renewal fees are paid in full on or before May 10.

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FAQs

  • The Director Liaison of the corporation and appointed Designated Manager must complete the pharmacy accreditation renewal process.

  • The community pharmacy accreditation renewal is comprised of three parts: corporate information renewal, pharmacy information renewal and payment. Each part must be completed to successfully renew your pharmacy’s license.

    • Corporation Information Renewal: Verify or update corporation information. This information is only viewable by the Director Liaison of the corporation.
    • Pharmacy Information Renewal: Verify or update pharmacy information.
    • Payment: The College accepts credit card, cheque or money order.

  • Director Liaisons and appointed Designated Managers should set aside at least 10-15 minutes to complete their community pharmacy accreditation renewal. If there are changes to corporation or workplace information, you will be asked to update it. Director Liaisons will be asked to complete a declaration on the AIMS (Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety) Program. This declaration should be read carefully before responding.

  • Director Liaisons must declare that they will not allow business interests and management pressures to undermine their pharmacy’s ability to provide safe, quality care to patients as required by the Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice and Standards of Operations. This declaration aligns with one the College’s strategic goals to help ensure business practice do not compromise the health and well-being of pharmacy professionals or impede their ability to adhere to the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.

  • The Director Liaison will be asked to complete a declaration on the AIMS (Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety) Program.

    The AIMS declaration asks Director Liaisons to confirm their pharmacies fulfil the requirements of the AIMS Program, including the completion of the Pharmacy Safety Self-Assessment (PSSA).

    The Director Liaison is accountable for ensuring their pharmacies are compliant with the requirements of the mandatory AIMS Program and that their pharmacy teams are using the AIMS Pharmapod platform to record incidents and good catches (near misses) to optimize patient outcomes.

  • The College accepts credit card, cheque or money order. Please note the College's portal does not accept Interac debit payment.

  • Director Liaisons and appointed Designated Managers can complete the renewal process using a desktop or laptop computer. The annual renewal process is not compatible with mobile phones.

    Ensure you are using the most up to date version of either Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome or Firefox, and that you have installed Acrobat Reader on your computer. If you wish to print confirmation of completion, please ensure your printer can print from your web browser prior to starting the pharmacy accreditation renewal process.

  • The individual who completed the pharmacy accreditation renewal can access and print the payment receipt and/or accreditation certificate from their online registrant profile. Please follow the below steps:

    • Login to My Account
    • Select “Accreditation Renewal”
    • Click the “Payment List” button on the introduction screen
    • Select the “Paid” tab.

    The user will be taken to the payment list where both the receipt and accreditation renewal certificate are available. To print these documents, disable any popup blockers.

  • Revenue from annual fees is necessary for the College to meet our legislated obligations and regulate the profession in the public interest. College by-laws approved by the Board of Directors in 2020 set an annual increase in fees to be tied to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index as of September 30th of each year. The intention is to reduce the need for large increases in fees in any single year by keeping up with inflation, which impacts everyone and contributes to higher costs for all organizations, including the College.

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