Pharmacy Professionals > Quality Assurance Program > Practice Assessment

Practice Assessment

The Practice Assessment is one component of the College’s Quality Assurance Program. All components of the Quality Assurance Program work together to support the delivery of safe, quality care.

All Part A pharmacists and Part A pharmacy technicians are expected to:

  • Complete a practice assessment when selected
  • Respond promptly to emails regarding assessments
  • Meet the documentation requirements ahead of the assessment
  • Communicate respectfully with OCP staff and maintain professionalism at all times

Failure to meet these expectations may result in you being unprepared for a practice assessment, unable to meet key performance indicators, or referred to the Quality Assurance Committee.

About 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
  • Increases adherence to practice standards, helps pharmacy professionals use their full scope and supports optimal health outcomes by supporting and educating the registrant
  • Separate and distinct from the pharmacy assessment and the Knowledge Assessment

For more information about the assessment process, please review the FAQs below. For a visual overview of the full practice assessment process, review the Practice and Peer Assessment Model diagram.

Criteria and Documentation Requirements 

For specific assessment criteria and documentation requirements, please select the applicable place of practice:

Designated Practice Assessment Site

Part A pharmacists and Part A pharmacy technicians must designate a practice site in Ontario where they provide patient care and where their practice assessment will take place. This is known as their Designated Practice Assessment (DPA) site. Registrants who exclusively provide patient care outside of Ontario and do not have a DPA site, do not meet the requirements of a Part A registrant.

The DPA site may be the same as or different from a registrant’s primary place of practice. If they work at multiple locations, they can choose their preferred site and update it at any time through their online profile. While initial practice assessments are conducted remotely via video conferencing, registrants must be physically present at their DPA site during the assessment.

To ensure accurate scheduling, DPA site information must always be kept up to date.

Practice Assessment Selection Criteria

As of October 1, 2024, the College has the authority to select Part A registrants to participate in the Quality Assurance Program based on risk rather than random selection. This allows the Quality Assurance Program to focus on risk-based, right-touch selection criteria. Risk factors may include the registrant’s workplace environment, the type of services provided, past conduct, previous Quality Assurance Program outcomes, and the time elapsed since their last Quality Assurance Program activity.

Beginning January 1, 2025, Part A pharmacists will be selected for a practice assessment if:

  • Eight or more years have passed since their last practice assessment, or 
  • They have never completed a practice assessment

FAQs

  • Approved Deferral Reasons

    A deferral may be requested only for the following reasons:

    • medical reason (with documented evidence)
    • maternity/paternity leave (expected return date must be provided)
    • pre-booked travel (with documented evidence and expected return date)

    If repeated deferral requests are received, your case will be referred to a Quality Assurance Advisor for review.

    Unforeseen Circumstances

    Certain unforeseen circumstances, such as urgent medical or family issues or accidents may be considered on a case-by-case basis for a deferral.

    Late Cancellations

    A late cancellation is a cancellation made less than six weeks before the scheduled assessment date.

    These cancellations are NOT due to an approved deferral reason, or an unforeseen circumstance listed above. For your first late cancellation or missed assessment, you will be rescheduled at the discretion of the practice advisor. Any subsequent late cancellations or missed assessments will incur a fee (see the Schedule for Fees for the current fee amounts).

  • Participation in the Quality Assurance Program is a requirement under the Regulated Health Professions Act. Failure to participate in the practice assessment 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.

  • Your practice advisor will ensure the discussion addresses your practice processes in providing care to your patients. They will use the four domains of the practice assessment criteria that are relevant to your place of practice.

  • The initial practice assessment is conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams while you are at your place of practice. It will take between two and three hours.

    You must have an area within the pharmacy that is acoustically private and confidential. You are expected to be alone in this area for the duration of the assessment. If this is not possible due to lack of space in the pharmacy, you must use earbuds or headphones.

    Reassessments and the practice assessment to move from Part B to Part A of the Register are conducted in person.

  • The practice assessment may or may not fall on the same day as a scheduled shift. If your practice assessment date falls on a scheduled shift, it is strongly recommended that you have an extra pharmacist/pharmacy technician available to provide patient care and oversee the dispensary operations while the assessment is taking place.

    If you are not scheduled to work at the pharmacy on the practice assessment date, it is your responsibility to coordinate with your manager to ensure you have a confidential area to complete your assessment. As the practice assessment is part of the College’s Quality Assurance Program, it does not have to take place during your working hours.

    It is your responsibility to inform your manager or lead of your practice assessment.

  • You will typically be notified that you have been selected for a practice assessment two to three months in advance. To prepare, you should review the practice assessment criteria specific to your place of practice. The “Guidance” section explains how the specific performance indicators will apply in practice, including examples.

    You are strongly encouraged to self-assess your current practice before your College practice assessment. The practice assessment is not a test of your clinical or therapeutic knowledge. Continuing to practice to the full scope of the profession is your best preparation.

    You will be requested to submit specific documentation at least two weeks before your scheduled practice assessment.

    For specific criteria and documentation requirements, please select your place of practice:

  • During a practice assessment, practice advisors use the practice assessment criteria to evaluate your practice. 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
    • probe 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 hours. The report is focused on opportunities for learning and resources to help practice.

    The results of a practice assessment are confidential and are not shared with employers, pharmacy owners or colleagues. The results are only provided to the Quality Assurance (QA) Committee according to the process described below.

  • To complete your practice assessment, you must be physically present at your Designated Practice Assessment (DPA) site in Ontario.

    If you exclusively provide patient care outside of Ontario (e.g., in another Canadian jurisdiction or the U.S.) and do not have a DPA in Ontario, you do not meet the requirements of a Part A registrant. Please reach out to [email protected] to discuss your options of resigning or transferring to part B of the register.

  • If you do not meet the standards required on your first practice assessment, you will be given the opportunity to spend time with a quality assurance (QA) coach. This coach is not a College staff member, but rather a peer who can provide support specifically in areas where there is room for improvement. This half-day interactive session is designed to enhance your practice and the care you provide to patients. Following the session with the QA coach, you will be reassessed onsite 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. You will also be required to complete the Knowledge Assessment.

    The QA Committee will review the results of your QA assessment and Knowledge Assessment and advise on next steps based on your needs, which may include remediation or self-directed learning. If remediation is required, you must complete a post-remedial practice assessment onsite within one year of completing remediation.

  • When you are notified that you must undergo a QA assessment, you should review the reports from your first and second practice assessments, and the learnings from your QA coach to apply the recommendations into your practice. You should also seek other relevant resources to improve your practice.

  • If you are unsuccessful in your post-remedial practice assessment, you will be given the opportunity to spend time with a different quality assurance (QA) coach.

    Following the session with the QA coach, you will be reassessed onsite by a different practice advisor. If this reassessment identifies significant areas that require improvement, you will be required to undergo a QA assessment again with a different College-appointed peer QA assessor.

    The QA Committee will review the results of your first and second QA assessment and recommend required remediation based on your needs.

  • You will need to demonstrate your ability to meet the Standards of Practice during your practice assessment. You should discuss with your supervisor(s) how and when you can gain experience and become confident in the scopes of practice you plan to use as a Part A registrant upon successful completion of the practice assessment.

    For community pharmacists: You are required to gather examples of pharmacist prescribing (this could include adaptations, pharmacist authorized renewals and minor ailment prescribing), medication reviews, and drug therapy problems you identified and managed ahead of the assessment. New and refill prescription examples will be gathered and reviewed during the practice assessment; you do not need to prepare these examples prior to the assessment.

    For pharmacy technicians and hospital pharmacists: Refer to the hospital pharmacist practice assessment and pharmacy technician practice assessment pages for documentation examples. Prior to the assessment, your practice advisor will discuss with you on a call what examples to have prepared in advance and how your processes will be reviewed.

    You should have an example of each scope of practice that you are planning to implement as a Part A registrant.

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