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The Ministry of Health has updated their guidance document for community pharmacies to include references to updated COVID-19 Ministry of Health documents, including patient screening guidance, a symptoms list and operational requirements for health sector restarts. The updated document also includes expanded guidance on occupational health and safety, infection prevention and control, and what to do when a patient screens positive.
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Starting on July 6, 2020, applications for Structured Practical Training (SPT) and Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) will be available. Applicants who are eligible to apply for SPT or PACE will be able to access the application in the College’s Online Services portal.
Due to COVID-19 precautions implemented in most practice sites by the pharmacy management and/or the local public health department (e.g., reduced hours of operation, physical distancing in the pharmacy), there will be some limitations on the availability of practice sites and preceptors/assessors. We thank applicants and candidates for their patience as we safely re-open these practice-based registration requirements.
If you are an SPT preceptor and do not want your name and professional contact information to be provided to applicants, please notify regprograms@ocpinfo.com.
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The College continues to remind registrants to use their due diligence and remain alert for fraudulent prescriptions, especially with new potential avenues for forgery, such as the temporary authorization for verbal prescriptions permitted under the CDSA Section 56 exemption.
As always, pharmacy professionals are expected to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the validity of prescriptions and use their professional judgment in determining whether to seek additional information from the prescriber and/or patient prior to dispensing. Particular caution is advised for out-of-province prescriptions, and provincial law enforcement agencies are advising heightened vigilance on prescriptions for opioids or narcotics presented by those under the age of 25.
The College’s "Forgery: Tips for Identifying Fraudulent Prescriptions" Fact Sheet provides pharmacy professionals with tips for identifying fraudulent prescriptions. If a suspected forgery is identified, follow the steps outlined in the Forgery: Management and Reporting of Fraudulent Prescriptions Fact Sheet.
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Effective August 1, 2020 and until further notice, the College will conduct the majority of operational and practice assessments through comprehensive virtual meeting formats (remote video assessments). College advisors will continue to thoroughly assess pharmacies and registrants against all established relevant standards; in-person assessments will be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
College advisors will communicate directly with pharmacy managers and registrants to arrange for assessment dates and provide further details and instructions. Operational assessments for community pharmacy new openings, sales and relocations will continue to be facilitated remotely until further notice.
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Reminder: Designated Manager (DM) e-Learning Module
Are you a current DM? Considering the role in the future? If so, check out the College’s Designated Manager e-Learning module, which provides an overview of key responsibilities and expectations of the DM. The module covers the following three areas: Managing the Premises, Equipment and Systems, and Managing the Personnel. It also includes case studies and interactive quizzes to keep you engaged and help you retain the information.
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Update on College Operations
Since the declaration of the state of emergency in Ontario, the College has maintained its operations to support a sector deemed an essential health service in the province. During this time, a number of adjustments were made to how we operated as we focused our efforts on supporting the profession while maintaining our regulatory duty to protect the public.
As the province implements its reopening strategy, the College is moving forward with making further adjustments to its operations and activities while respecting ongoing public health measures. Read more on the College website.
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A Shared Responsibility to Reflect, to Learn and to Act
At its June 15th meeting, the College’s Board of Directors acknowledged the impact of systemic racism and discrimination in our society.
It subsequently approved a recommendation to work collaboratively with our academic partners to better understand how the student body in our professional schools represents our population, specifically as it relates to Black and Indigenous communities. Educating ourselves is an important first step toward determining what strategies are required to ensure that pharmacy reflects the patient population it serves. Read more on the College website.
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FIP: National Champions for Change Initiative Seeks Pharmacists’ Input
The Community Pharmacy Section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has introduced National Champions for Change, an initiative in which pharmacists are asked to submit their thoughts and ideas on how better to help manage the COVID-19 crisis and potential new waves by answering a short survey. Deadline for submissions is July 12, 2020.
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Stay Subscribed to e-Connect
This e-newsletter is your official resource for important news from the College. Stay subscribed to ensure you receive ongoing and up-to-date information that’s relevant to you. You can access archived issues of e-Connect, including previous College updates to registrants on COVID-19, on the College website
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