Second Call for Nominations – Board Representatives
NLPB is issuing a second call for nominations for board representatives in Zones 5 (Hospital Pharmacist) & Zone 7 (At-Large Pharmacists), due to an insufficient number of nominations received for the three positions available.
Nominations must be submitted no later than Sunday, July 30, 2023.
Please note, nominations for Zone 6 have closed; election information will be released next month.
| NLPB needs dedicated pharmacy professionals interested in supporting their profession in the best interest of the public they serve. Is that you? |
| Then submit your nomination form now for one of three positions open for election on NLPB’s board of directors. |
Call for Expression of Interest – OAMT Standards Task Force
NLPB is currently seeking interested pharmacists or pharmacy technicians to serve as members of a task force to review revisions to NLPB’s Standards for the Safe and Effective Provision of Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment. The primary role of this task force will be to review and provide feedback regarding draft revisions to these Standards of Practice in advance of a new draft being presented to the board for consideration later this fall.
If you are interested in participating, please submit your name, contact information, a brief bio, and a few lines about why you’d like to be a member of the working group to inforx@nlpb.ca by Friday, July 28, 2023.
Revisions to Pharmaceutical Services Act in Relation to the TRPP Program
NLPB is sharing the following information on behalf of the Provincial Government’s Department of Health & Community Services:
On May 25, 2023, the Pharmaceutical Services Act was amended to:
- update the definition of “prescriber” to include pharmacists, midwives, and registered nurses;
- update the Tamper Resistant Drug Pad Program to accommodate; exemptions issued under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
- update reference of “Trial Division” to the correct reference “Supreme Court”;
- update statutory references; and
- incorporate gender-neutral language.
Changes to the Tamper Resistant Drug Pad Program were necessary to allow pharmacists to dispense in accordance with the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act Subsection 56(1) Class Exemption, in effect until September 2026. This amendment allows for prescription transfers (in-province and from out of province) and the ability to accept verbal prescriptions without the requirement of a TRPP. These changes will remove barriers to access and ensure continuity of care for individuals requiring treatment with controlled substances.
Please note that this change does not mean that the TRPP program is no longer in effect. It is still the “default” method of providing patients with prescriptions for controlled drugs and substances that are subject to the program. This change is simply intended to provide practitioners and pharmacists with an alternate means of communicating and receiving these prescriptions in times when it is not possible or practically feasible to use the TRPP pad.
HEALTH CANADA: Updated Guidance Document for Community Pharmacies
NLPB is sharing the following information on behalf of Health Canada’s Office of Controlled Substances:
Health Canada recently released an updated guidance document for community pharmacists to help pharmacists comply with the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its associated regulations. The document includes information on:
- physical security measures and restricted access,
- destruction procedures and records,
- inventory and reconciliation,
- record-keeping (purchase and receiving, dispensing, returns, etc.),
- pharmacy closure or transfer of ownership,
- loss and theft reporting,
- notice of restriction, and
- section 56 class exemption.
The guidance document can be found on Health Canada’s new web page, which also contains other resources for pharmacists on controlled substances and precursors. Questions about this information can be directed to compliance-conformite@hc-sc.gc.ca.
Professional Practice Webinar – Professional Liability Insurance – Protect the Public and Protect your Practice
Join NLPB for a review of the professional liability insurance (PLI) requirements for registered pharmacy professionals and a look into the importance of PLI coverage and documentation on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 6:30-7:30 pm (NT). In this webinar, General Counsel and Director of Complaints & Discipline, Natalie Payne and Director of Quality and Pharmacy Licensing, Kelda Newport will review:
- Recently implemented changes to the Professional Liability Insurance Requirements for Registration.
- The Code of Ethics and how they relate to professional liability insurance.
- The importance of liability to both you and your patients; and
- Why maintaining an up-to-date record of your professional liability insurance information and documentation in the NLPB Registrant Portal is so important.
Date: July 26, 2023
Time: 6:30-7:30 pm (NT)
| Presenters: | Kelda Newport (she/her) RPh, (BSc Pharm, MPH), Director of Quality and Pharmacy Licensing |
| Natalie Payne (she/her) (JD, BA), General Counsel and Director of Complaints & Discipline |
Click to Register
This webinar will be hosted through Microsoft Teams.
Please note the changes to the Professional Liability Insurance Requirements for Registration are required to be implemented no later than September 30, 2023. Pharmacy professionals who are scheduled to renew their PLI policy before that date may implement the changes at that time. Pharmacy professionals who are not scheduled to renew their PLI policy before that date are required to proactively make the changes in advance of September 30, 2023.
Professional Liability Insurance – Coverage and Documentation
Have you recently renewed your Professional Liability Insurance (PLI)? All registered pharmacy professionals, whether or not you are currently practicing, are required to carry sufficient PLI as per NLPB’s Professional Liability Insurance Requirements for Registration.
Upon policy renewal, you are required to upload an annual certificate of coverage and update your policy information in your NLPB profile. To upload your insurance certificate and update your policy information, log into the Registrant Portal and select Professional Liability Insurance from the menu. For specific instructions, refer to the NLPB Registrant Portal User Guide – Adding/Updating Professional Liability Insurance.
Please note, as of September 30, 2023, all registered pharmacy professionals are required to ensure their policy contains a clause that the insurer will notify NLPB if the policy is canceled, expires, or no longer meets NLPB requirements.
Keep your insurance up to date to protect the public and protect your practice.
Welcome Norm Lace – NLPB’s new Hospital Pharmacy Practice Consultant
We are excited to announce that Norm Lace has joined the NLPB team as our new part-time contractual Hospital Pharmacy Practice Consultant, replacing Ken Walsh who has served in the role since 2019.
In his new role, Norm will be responsible for supporting the quality and safety of hospital pharmacy practice by assessing licensing applications, conducting pharmacy visits, answering questions about the application of regulatory requirements, and assisting with the development of NLPB standards and policies. Norm brings a wealth of experience in hospital pharmacy practice and change management. He’s a graduate of the College of Trades and Technology Pharmacy Program and has worked as a hospital pharmacist for 32 years, spending over 20 years in management positions; most recently, the Regional Director of Pharmacy for Eastern Health, which he retired from in 2020. Norm is known for making a significant impact on hospital pharmacies in the province during his years of practice, including leading advancements in technology, integration of pharmacy technicians, initiation of a pharmacy residency program for pharmacists, and improvements in sterile compounding infrastructure. Since 2020, Norm has continued to maintain and expand his pharmacy practice knowledge through practice as a relief pharmacist in community pharmacy. Norm’s hospital knowledge and experience will certainly benefit our quality assurance and licensing processes.
Welcome, Norm!
| Ken Walsh will continue to support the NLPB QA portfolio until mid-August. |
| NLPB board and staff would like to extend sincere appreciation to Ken for his significant contributions over the past 4 years and wish him all the best in his retirement. |
2022 Annual Report
NLPB’s 2022 Annual Report is now available for viewing online at https://staging.nlpb.ca/media/Annual-Report-2022.pdf
The report showcases NLPB’s achievements and highlights the challenges overcome during the year, as well as provides updates on registration, pharmacy licensing, quality assurance, professional practice, and complaints and discipline.
Professional Practice
NLPB will be relaunching the Professional Practice Webinar Series this fall to further support pharmacy professionals in their practice. These webinars will cover topics related to NLPB’s role in public protection, such as quality assurance and continuous quality improvement; understanding standards, guidelines, policy, and legislation; providing safe and ethical care; and managing interactions with patients.
In developing the upcoming webinar series, NLPB is calling on registered pharmacy professionals to submit topics of interest for consideration. If there is a topic you would like to learn more about, please send it to communications@nlpb.ca.
Maintaining the Pharmacy Profile
Are you a new Pharmacist in charge (PIC) or a PIC who has recently changed pharmacies?
As PIC, it is your responsibility to ensure the pharmacy profile is kept up to date. Upon becoming PIC of a pharmacy, log into the Pharmacy Portal and ensure all information is correct and that the pharmacy email is not that of the previous PIC. Please note, the pharmacy email is listed on the pharmacy profile in the public register and may be used by the public or health professionals to contact the pharmacy, as such it should be a dedicated pharmacy email, rather than a personal email, that is checked regularly.
Please note, PICs can log into the Pharmacy Portal using the same email and password as is used to log into the Registrant Portal.
Professional Development Accreditation Services
As communicated in the Spring 2022 issue of The Apothecary, NLPB will cease accreditation services by November 30, 2023. The interpretation guide for Professional Development Requirements for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians provides a list of accrediting bodies currently recognized by NLPB. NLPB encourages individuals and organizations seeking accreditation for pharmacy continuing education and professional development, to contact the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP) for information on accreditation services.
Revised Standards of Pharmacy Operation for Community Pharmacy
As announced in the fall of 2022, NLPB has approved the revised Standards of Pharmacy Operation for Community Pharmacy.
The expectation is that the requirements of the Standards should be met at the earliest possible date but no later than September 1, 2023. All new pharmacy openings will be expected to meet the Standards at the time of opening.
Pharmacy professionals, including pharmacists-in-charge, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians, should review the recent article in the Fall 2022 issue of The Apothecary for a summary of key changes and also review the Standards in their entirety at their earliest convenience.
Additional resources:
Webinars
- Implementing Standards – Revised Standards of Pharmacy Operation for Community Pharmacy Part 1 & Part 2 are now available through the NLPB Online Learning Portal.
Please Leave a Message… |
| Periodically, NLPB receives questions or comments from pharmacy professionals asking why staff are not answering their phone lines. We also often experience situations where individuals call multiple staff lines when they do not get an immediate answer but do not leave a message to allow someone to call them back.
NLPB staff primarily work in the office but may not be immediately accessible on their phone line or email, as each staff member, including the office administrator, have multiple roles to cover, meetings to attend, or may be on another call. However, voicemails are regularly checked, and staff members get email alerts when a message is left on their phone line. If a member of our staff is out-of-office, they will include that notification in their voicemail or automated email reply as well as information on where to redirect your inquiry. We want to assist you; so please leave a detailed message about your question or concern when you call staff and get their voicemail. This will help us appropriately prioritize and prepare to answer your question if we need to collect additional information before calling you back. Also, to prevent duplication of work and inefficiency, please don’t leave the same message on multiple lines; staff will redirect your voicemail to the most appropriate person if they are not in the best position to answer your question or address your concern. |
Regular reminders
- Registrant Contact Information – Registrants are responsible for ensuring that the contact information on their registrant profile, including email address and practice site, is accurate at all times. The NLPB primarily uses email communication to send newsletters, renewal reminders, practice site assessment information, professional development audit information, calls for interest for committees, and other alerts. If the email address on file is incorrect, important information may be missed and/or disclosed to the wrong person. If your contact information changes, please update your information on file by logging into the NLPB Registrant Portal.
- Application Submission – NLPB receives many applications for processing. Unfortunately, some of the applications submitted are illegible, incomplete, or missing supporting documentation or payment, leading to delays in processing and approving the application. In order to ensure that your application is processed in a timely manner, please take a moment before submission to ensure that all fields are completed and legible and that all supporting documentation is included. All supporting documentation should adhere to NLPB’s Scanning Guidelines and Checklist for Document Submissions Policy. These small steps will help improve the process for both the applicant and NLPB.
This e-newsletter contains information on a wide variety of topics intended to enhance the practice of pharmacy in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. As it is published and circulated to all registrants on a monthly basis, it is the expectation of NLPB that all registrants are aware of the matters contained therein.