SPE- STRUCTURED PRACTICAL EVALUATION EVALUATOR AND SITE CRITERIA FOR SPE CANDIDATES
The registration regulation that covers registration as a registered pharmacy technician is Part IV-Ontario Regulation 292/94 under the Pharmacy Act. The regulation includes provisions to address the pharmacy technicians who entered the profession prior to the introduction of accredited education programs. The College has worked with the educators to develop a bridging education program that will meet the needs of this group by providing the additional knowledge and skills that is needed for current pharmacy technicians to be able to fulfil the enhanced role that regulation enables.
Registration requires that every registered pharmacy technician must have successfully completed the SPE Evaluation of the IDC-Independent Double Check (which is taught in the Drug Distribution bridging course) under an Evaluator acceptable to the College. A pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician cannot act as an evaluator until the candidate has pre-registered with the College and their application has been approved. An SPE Candidate cannot perform any of the authorized acts alone since they are not members of the College at this stage of the registration process.
This policy outlines who is eligible to be an evaluator and the role of the evaluator. The policy is not to be applied where the result might be to discriminate against a pharmacist or a registered pharmacy technician who is disabled as that term is defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code. If that issue arises, the application to be an evaluator shall be referred to the Registration Committee.
POLICY
1. Eligibility
a) An Evaluator must be a pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician who is licensed and practising in Ontario.
b) An Evaluator must not:
- have any terms, conditions or limitations on his/her certificate of registration other than those applicable to all members of the class in which the evaluator holds a certificate of registration unless otherwise authorized by a panel of the Registration Committee;
- have been found to have committed an act of professional misconduct or, to be incompetent by the Discipline Committee within the last six years unless otherwise authorized by a panel of the Registration Committee;
- have been found to be incapacitated by the Fitness to Practice Committee within the last six years unless otherwise authorized by a panel of the Registration Committee;
- have been the subject of allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence that have been referred to, but not yet decided upon by, the Discipline Committee; or
- have been the subject of allegations of incapacity that have been referred to, but not yet decided upon by, the Fitness to Practice Committee.
2. Conflict of Interest
Evaluators must not have or be perceived by the College to have a conflict of interest or bias in respect of the SPE Candidate unless otherwise authorized by a panel of the Registration Committee. The existence of any factor* which would be perceived as potentially compromising an objective, candid and fair assessment of the candidate’s competency must be disclosed on the initial application if known at that time, or as soon as the potential conflict or bias is identified. The disclosure requirement is applicable to both the applicant and the evaluator. Disclosure of the potential conflict of interest or bias will not necessarily preclude the evaluation. Failure to disclose a potential conflict of interest may result in a referral to a panel of the Registration Committee that may determine that the candidate will have to redo the SPE under an evaluator acceptable to the Registration Committee and could also result in the Registration Committee refusing to allow the pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician to act as an evaluator in the future.
3. Supervision and Assessment
a) The evaluator must take primary responsibility for directly supervising and assessing the candidate for the majority of the SPE process. The evaluator may delegate a portion of the direct supervision and assessment to other pharmacists or registered pharmacy technicians as appropriate.
b) The evaluator must ensure all required evaluations of performance are complete as outlined in the Overview Criteria and the final completion check list is submitted online to the College within seven days of completion of training.
c) If the SPE is terminated for any reason by either party, the evaluator must indicate on the online completion checklist “incomplete” within seven days of that termination.
d) If the candidate is unsuccessful after three attempts at the SPE, the evaluator must indicate on the completion checklist “fail” and contact OCP for further information.
Policy Approved by Registration Committee: July 2009 *Usual examples include familial relationships (direct and indirect), financial or business connections.
SPE PRACTICE SITE CRITERIA
For SPE Candidates
The practice site shall:
1. be your current primary workplace or a temporary workplace for the purpose of SPE i.e.; community pharmacy, hospital, long term care
2. have a pharmacist or a registered pharmacy technician physically present on site;
3. have a philosophy and an organizational structure (e.g., sufficient staffing and resources) that permits an appropriate degree of educational opportunities and interaction between evaluator and SPE candidate to allow for the independent double check;
4.be a pharmacy that has not had a disciplinary finding against it in the past six years or is not currently the subject of disciplinary proceedings;
5. be a pharmacy for which there does not exist any unsatisfied order or action by the Accreditation Committee; and
6. be a pharmacy wherein the SPE candidate is not in an actual or perceived conflict of interest relationship with the Designated Manager or any Owner, Director, Officer or
Shareholder of the Corporation holding the Certificate of Accreditation.
Note: SPE candidates who wish to complete SPE in a site that does not meet all of these criteria may request an exemption from the Registration Committee.
