Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have an important role to play in safe opioid dispensing and appropriate access to controlled substances. Opioids can be effective medications, however, opioid use and misuse is prevalent in Ontario, resulting in a serious opioid crisis with growing numbers of opioid-related deaths. As medication experts, pharmacists are stewards of responsible opioid use, providing recommendations on opioid dosing to enable patients to receive appropriate therapy, and for identifying patients at risk of…
Consultation within the interprofessional team is essential to facilitate seamless and quality patient care. Pharmacy professionals are expected to develop constructive, cooperative relationships with colleagues and other healthcare professionals to support safe and effective therapy for patients. When referring patients to another healthcare professional, such as when the patient requires care beyond a registrant’s scope or the limits of their individual competence, the relevant patient information for a safe and effective transition of care must…
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) in health care settings requires the consistent application of evidence-based practices and procedures that can prevent or reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms to health care providers and patients. To ensure the proper conditions of sanitation for drug preparation and storage, and to maintain a healthy environment for the public, pharmacies should have IPAC measures in place to minimize the risk of disease transmission from the pharmacy environment. In…
Hospitals are subject to oversight from several system partners and have accountabilities under multiple pieces of legislation. The Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act provides the College with the authority to accredit and inspect pharmacies within public and private hospitals. For these purposes, any location in a hospital where drugs are stored, compounded, dispensed, supplied from or for hospital inpatients or outpatients patients is deemed to be a pharmacy.
The Designated Manager (DM) of a community pharmacy is the pharmacist designated by the owner of the pharmacy as the registrant responsible for managing the pharmacy. The DM accepts the same accountability and responsibility as the owner and corporate directors for ensuring that the pharmacy conforms to the requirements set out in the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act and Regulations, which govern the accreditation and operation of pharmacies. The resources below are intended for use…
Decision making is one of the four domains that is evaluated during a pharmacist and pharmacy technician practice assessment. When providing patient care, pharmacy professionals should always make decisions that optimize patient outcomes. The effects of the decisions made should be monitored and re-assessed as needed to ensure that it continues to be the best option for the patient.
Pharmacist must follow federal regulations for the provision (sale) and procurement (ordering and purchasing) of controlled substances. Provincially, opioids and controlled substances (i.e., drugs in the schedules to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) are considered monitored drugs and subject to the Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act. Below is a list of resources to help pharmacists navigate and comply with the relevant legislation governing controlled substances. For resources related to opioids and opioid agonist treatment with methadone or buprenorphine…
The College adopted the NAPRA Model Standards for Pharmacy Compounding of Non-hazardous Sterile Preparations and the Model Standards for Pharmacy Compounding of Hazardous Sterile Preparations, following approval at the September 2016 Board meeting with an implementation date of January 1, 2019. These standards apply to all pharmacy professionals in all practice settings that engage in sterile compounding in any capacity and are an important way to ensure patient safety and protect pharmacy personnel. Pharmacy compounding of sterile preparations is a…
The College adopted the Model Standards for Pharmacy Compounding of Non-Sterile Preparations and the accompanying Guidance Document for Pharmacy Compounding of Non-Sterile Preparations, following approval at the December 2017 Board meeting, with full implementation by January 1, 2022. The standards apply to all pharmacy professionals in all practice settings that engage in non-sterile compounding in any capacity and are an important way to ensure patient safety and protect pharmacy personnel. The Designated Manager (in a community pharmacy)…
Ontario pharmacies must meet certain standards to be accredited and entitled to operate. Remote dispensing locations (RDLs) and internet sites can only be operated by an accredited pharmacy in Ontario thus all standards of accreditation that apply to a pharmacy are also applicable to remote dispensing locations and pharmacies operating internet sites unless otherwise specified. The resources below are intended for use by both Designated Managers (DMs) and pharmacy owners to assist in navigating the…
