FAQ’s Regarding Standards of Operation (June 22,2011)
1. What are the new pharmacy size requirements?
Every pharmacy must have a floor area sufficient for the safe and orderly operation of the pharmacy and not less than 18.6m2 (200ft2). Existing pharmacies have until May 11, 2012 to comply however all new pharmacies must meet this size requirement.
2. Do all pharmacies require a patient consultation room?
For some time now, the College has been recommending members to have a separate and distinct patient consultation area in the pharmacy offering acoustical privacy. With the passing of the DPRA Regulation, this is now a requirement for all new and existing pharmacies. Although it is not necessary at this time to have a “room” it is recommended that members consider the inclusion of a visually and acoustically private area in which pharmacists can deliver the professional services outlined in the draft regulation for expanded scope of practice.
3. What are the new refrigeration requirements?
A refrigerator which stores drugs and other medications requiring refrigeration must have the facility to accurately display the temperature inside the refrigerator. Temperature must be maintained between 2–8C. Anything other than drugs or medications requiring refrigeration should not be stored in the refrigerator (no food) as this can negatively affect the stability of drug product.
4. Our head office prohibits full access to the internet. How will we comply with the Regulation requirement to have internet access?
Although full access to the internet may not be necessary, sufficient access is necessary to allow members practising at the pharmacy to meet the profession’s standards of practice including access to library requirements as outlined in the Regulation.
5. What are the new library requirements?
The required reference guide is available on the OCP website at the link below. It is no longer a requirement for every pharmacy to have a medical dictionary, dispensatory, paediatric dosing reference guide or handbook of non-prescription drugs. However in addition to the required list, members are expected to have any other publication that is reasonably required to meet the standards of practice of the profession for their specific practice. Example: geriatric, paediatric, natural health products, compounding resource.
Click here to view the Required Reference Guide - Library Guide
6. What type of scanners are recommended and when must we begin using them?
Please contact your software vendor for direction on scanners and how to integrate into your computer system. Effective immediately all new pharmacies must have equipment to allow for scanning of original prescriptions and documents and maintaining those scanned copies in the patient record. All existing pharmacies have until May 11, 2012 to comply. See Record Keeping FAQ for more information.
7. Are electronically transmitted prescriptions now acceptable?
There has been no change in the College’s advice on electronically transmitted prescriptions. In 2006/2007, the College approved a policy on faxed prescriptions and guidelines for prescriptions transmitted to pharmacists by fax or in digitized image files to assist members to ensure that the prescriptions they receive in these formats are both authentic and legally constructed.
8. Is e-prescribing permitted?
The regulation does not permit e-prescribing.
