Pharmacy Technicians on the Road to Regulation Focus on Registration
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
May/June 2010 May/June Pharmacy Technicians on the Road to Regulation page 12 Focus on Registration page 22 ontario college of pharmacists 483 Huron Street, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2R4 • Tel (416) 962-4861 • Fax (416) 847-8200 • www.ocpinfo.com The mission of the Ontario College of Pharmacists is to regulate the practice of pharmacy, through the participation of the public and the profession, in accordance with standards of practice which ensure that our members provide the public with quality pharmaceutical service and care. Council Members Council Members for Districts 1-17 are listed below according to District number. PM indicates a public member appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council. U of T indicates the Dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. U of W indicates the Director, School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo. 1 Joseph Hanna PM Joinal Abdin Statutory Committees 2 Elaine Akers PM Thomas Baulke • Executive 3 Sherif Guorgui PM Corazon dela Cruz • Accreditation 4 Tracey Phillips PM Babek Ebrahimzadeh • Discipline 5 Donald Organ PM James Fyfe • Fitness to Practice 6 Zita Semeniuk PM David Hoff • Inquiries Complaints & Reports 7 Tracy Wiersema PM Margaret Irwin • Patient Relations 8 Saheed Rashid PM Javaid Khan • Quality Assurance 9 Bonnie Hauser PM Lewis Lederman • Registration 10 Gerald Cook PM Aladdin Mohaghegh Standing Committees 11 Christopher Leung PM Gitu Parikh • Communications 12 Peter Gdyczynski PM Joy Sommerfreund • Finance 13 Sanjiv Maindiratta U of T Henry Mann • Professional Practice 14 Stephen Clement U of W Jake Thiessen 15 Jon MacDonald Special Committees 16 Doris Nessim • Standards of Practice Working Group 17 Shelley McKinney • Pharmacy Technicians Working Group College Staff Office of the Registrar x 2244 Registration Programs x 2250 Pharmacy Openings/Closings, [email protected] [email protected] Pharmacy Sales/Relocation [email protected] Office of the Deputy Registrar/ Structured Practical Training Programs x 2297 Director of Professional Development [email protected] Registration and Membership Information: Pharmacy Connection Editor x 2241 [email protected] [email protected] Investigations and Resolutions x 2274 [email protected] Pharmacy Technician Programs Office of the Director of [email protected] Professional Practice x 2241 Continuing Education Programs and [email protected] Continuing Competency Programs x 2273 Publications x 2229 [email protected] [email protected] Office of the Director of Finance and Administration x 2244 [email protected] contents Interested in Serving on a College Committee? 10 Pharmacy Technicians on the Road to Regulation 12 Improving care for the elderly 15 Take a trip back to the beginnings of Pharmacy at The Niagara Apothecary 19 Focus on Registration 22 regular features Serve on a College Committee – page 10 Registrar’s Message 4 Editor’s Message 5 Council Report 6 Pharmacy Technician Q&A 14 Health Canada Notices 17 Did You Know... 20 Practice Q&A 21 Registration Q&A 24 The Road to Regulation – page 12 SPT Q&A 25 Bulletin Board 26 Update on Technology 27 Deciding on Discipline 28 Focus on Error Prevention - Prescription Transfers 29 CE Resources 30 Laws & Regulations 31 Visit the Niagara Apothecary – page 19 pharmacyconnection May/JuneJuly 2010 • August Volume 2008 17 • Number Volume 315 • Number 4 The objectives of Pharmacy Connection are to communicate information on College activities and policies; encourage dialogue and to discuss issues of interest with pharmacists; and to promote the pharmacist’s role among our members, allied health professions and the public. We publish six times a year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. We welcome original manuscripts (that promote the objectives of the journal) for consideration. The Ontario College of Pharmacists reserves the right to modify contributions as appropriate. Please contact the Associate Editor for publishing requirements. We also invite you to share your comments, suggestions or criticisms by letter to the Editor. Letters considered for reprinting must include the author’s name, address and telephone number. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views or official position of the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Stephen Clement, R.Ph., B.Sc.Phm. Anjali Baichwal ISSN 1198-354X President Associate Editor © 2010 Ontario College of Pharmacists [email protected] Canada Post Agreement #40069798 Deanna Williams, R.Ph., B.Sc.Phm., C.Dir., CAE Undelivered copies should be returned to the Registrar Agostino Porcellini Ontario College of Pharmacists. Not to be reproduced Production & Design / Webmaster in whole or in part without the permission of the Editor. Della Croteau, R.Ph., B.S.P., M.C.Ed. [email protected] Editor, Deputy Registrar, Director of Professional Development Neil Hamilton [email protected] Distribution 10% [email protected] Cert no. SW-COC-2036 registrar’s message Deanna Williams, R.Ph., B.Sc. Phm., C.Dir., CAE Registrar n many of my messages over the education on common subjects such have been trained- that of experts in years, I speak about the “chal- as anatomy, physiology and pathol- medication therapy, monitoring and Ilenges and opportunities” facing ogy is now routine, it’s a fact that no management. our profession. Amidst recent gov- other health professional receives the So, amidst the current challenges, ernment announcements respecting extensive education and training in you ask where is there opportunity? changes to Ontario’s Public Drug Sys- bio-pharmaceutics, pharmacokinet- The business of pharmacy once again tem, it’s hard to look for opportunities ics, pharmacology, or drug therapy is facing new challenges but what when all you can see in front of you management that you do. does or should that have to do with are challenges. But I believe that The days where pharmacy gradu- the health profession of pharmacy? opportunities do indeed exist—the ates were content, first after two, The business model may need to be changed, but as you know, nothing The College trusts that amidst current challenges, all has ever precluded pharmacists from pharmacists will be true to their professional roots charging a reasonable fee for the ser- and do what is in the patient’s best interest. vices they provide. As the new scope of practice real challenge is recognizing where and then after four years of educa- for pharmacists unfolds this year they exist and then taking them. tion and training, to “count and pour, with pharmacists gaining five new Over the past decade the Col- lick and stick”—as we fondly referred controlled acts, perhaps this is the lege—with member support—has to dispensing—are gone. Today’s opportunity for you to demonstrate worked towards gaining an expanded new pharmacists are graduating after to the public and other health profes- scope of practice for pharmacists to at least five years of university, al- sionals that, business challenges aside, enable all pharmacists to practice to though many of these folks enter the pharmacists are first and foremost the full extent of your education and pharmacy programs with full degrees. health care professionals. This means training. No other health professional The undergraduate curricula fulfilling the public expectations that possesses the unique body of know- across Canada have undergone sever- they—and their care—come first ledge or the expertise in drug therapy al revisions over the years, and today no matter what. Being professional that a pharmacist does. Every health are based on new outcome-based means that quality patient care is at care professional in Ontario has a and patient centered competencies. the forefront of every decision you profession-specific body of know- These new pharmacists are ready to make on behalf of patients and the ledge that positions them to fulfill a embrace recent changes to legislation College trusts that amidst current necessary and vital role in the health that will permit registered pharmacy challenges, that all pharmacists will care system. As pharmacists, your technicians to responsibly assume be true to their professional roots and expertise, knowledge and training most of the technical aspects of dis- do what is in the patient’s best inter- sets you aside from other health pro- pensing so that as pharmacists, they est. The future of pharmacy—as a fessionals. While inter-professional can embrace the role for which they health profession—depends on it. 4 pharmacyconnection • May/June 2010 editor’s message Della Croteau, R.Ph., B.S.P., M.C.Ed. Deputy Registrar/Director of Professional Development pring is here and the stu- training for those coming into the preceptors in this province who dents are finishing exams, profession. Some pharmacists con- have provided opportunities for Slooking forward to working sider it an essential part of their students and interns. More than for the summer--or not. Students own continuing education. One 300 of them currently have stu- and faculty members at both our pharmacist told us “ I learn just as dents and interns with them in faculties of pharmacy are worried much as the student–I am not sure practice, and several more will be about the effects of the current who is teaching whom.” attending preceptor workshops in issues between pharmacies and The students are telling us that the next few weeks. We want to the government on the training it’s difficult to focus on those final thank those of you who are step- and development of future phar- exams when they are unsure as to ping up to provide placements for U of T and Waterloo students as well The profession of pharmacy has a long tradition of as the many students and interns apprenticeship and training for those coming into the who come to us from other parts of profession. Some pharmacists consider it an essential Canada, the U.S. and around the part of their own continuing education.