All Part A registrants must participate in the Quality Assurance (QA) Program when selected. Failure to participate in the QA Program when selected 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.
The QA Program consists of four components: Self-Assessment, Knowledge Assessment, Practice Assessment and Learning Portfolio. Together, these four components lead to improved practice and patient care.
Purpose of the Quality Assurance Program
- Assures the public that healthcare professionals are competent to provide patient care
- Contributes to individual and system-wide continuous quality improvement
- Ensures pharmacy professionals maintain appropriate skills and knowledge throughout their careers
- Supports the College’s role in protecting the public and promoting continued competency of registrants
- Meets expectations under the Regulated Health Professions Act which requires all regulated health professions in Ontario to have a Quality Assurance Program
How the Quality Assurance Program Works
- Validates the things pharmacy professionals are already doing well
- Helps Part A pharmacy professionals identify areas for improvement in their practice to better support their patients
- Supports ongoing skill and knowledge development at all levels of a pharmacy professionals’ career
- Selection to participate in the Quality Assurance Program is based on risk
Components of the Quality Assurance Program
The QA Program uses complementary assessment modalities to evaluate practitioners’ practice against the standards of the profession and support ongoing competency. All components of the Quality Assurance Program – Self-Assessment, Knowledge Assessment, Practice Assessment and Learning Portfolio – work together to support the delivery of safe, quality care.
The College’s Quality Assurance Program consists of four major components:
1. Self-Assessment: Identifies Learning Needs
Who it applies to: Part A pharmacy technicians
What it is: The Self-Assessment is a tool that assists registrants in identifying their learning needs and creating a plan to meet those needs. It supports ongoing competency and can help registrants advance professionally.
2. Knowledge Assessment: Evaluates Current Core Knowledge
Who it applies to: Part A pharmacists
What it is: The Knowledge Assessment is a standardized, computer-based assessment that focuses on patient care, jurisprudence, ethics and professionalism. The Knowledge Assessment assesses pharmacists’ ability to apply clinical knowledge as well as current legislation, ethics and scope of practice to patient care scenarios.
3. Practice Assessment: Evaluates Performance
Who it applies to: Part A pharmacists and Part A pharmacy technicians
What it is: The Practice Assessment focuses on the processes used to deliver patient care in a registrant’s place of practice through feedback and discussion with a College practice advisor. The goal of the practice assessment is to increase adherence to practice standards, help pharmacy professionals use their full scope, and ultimately support optimal health outcomes by supporting and educating the registrant.
4. Learning Portfolio: Supports Ongoing Development
Who it applies to: Part A pharmacists and Part A pharmacy technicians
What it is: The Learning Portfolio supports ongoing development and helps pharmacy professionals reflect on learnings from other Quality Assurance activities. The Learning Portfolio should be kept up to date by the registrant as a record of their continuous professional development.