Close Your Pharmacy

Temporary Closure

Per the College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Code of Ethics, pharmacy professionals must provide patients under their care with access to medications, pharmacy services, and medication records, when needed or requested. As a temporary or closure of community pharmacies has the potential to have a significant adverse impact on patients, pharmacists-in-charge are expected to explore all possible options for the pharmacy to remain open and continue to provide patients with safe, quality care. However, there are circumstances when a temporary closure of the pharmacy is required.

Planned Temporary Closure

A temporary closure is permitted without surrendering the pharmacy licence where a pharmacist staff member requires a leave of absence and the pharmacy owner or pharmacist-in-charge is unable to find sufficient relief staff to support continued operations.

In the case of a planned temporary closure, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to submit an application to the College not less than 30 days before the planned closure.

Unplanned Temporary Closure

In emergency situations, a temporary closure is permitted for up to 90 days without surrendering the pharmacy licence. These situations may include sudden illness of the pharmacist, severe weather conditions, physical damage to the pharmacy, or public health emergencies.

In the case of an unplanned temporary closure, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to submit the application to the College as soon as possible.

If the closure exceeds 90 days, the pharmacist-in-charge must contact the College to discuss the next steps, as the pharmacy will have to be permanently closed and the licence must be terminated. The pharmacy may be able to reopen in the future under a new pharmacy licence.

Application

If you have determined that a temporary closure of the pharmacy is required, you may apply through the College’s online pharmacy portal by following the steps below.

Click Pharmacy Portal in the Portal Login menu at the top right of the webpage.
Log into your account and, if more than one pharmacy profile is linked to your account, click the Select button next to the appropriate pharmacy profile.
Click the Temporary Closure Application link on the side menu.
Click the Start button under the Temporary Closure Application table.
Follow the instructions to submit the application.

Completed applications must be submitted at least 90 days before relocating the pharmacy and may take 7-10 business days to process once all required documentation and fees are received. Applicants will be notified by email once a decision has been made.

Pharmacists-in-charge must notify the College before reopening the pharmacy.

Pre-Closure Requirements

When a temporary closure of a pharmacy is required, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to take steps to reduce the impact on patients.

Make alternate arrangements by consulting with prescribers and other members of the healthcare team, pharmacies in nearby communities, and NL Health services to determine alternative options to medication access and delivery of health services in the following circumstances:
Provision of services to personal care homes.
Provision of specialized compounding services.
Provision of opioid agonist maintenance treatment services.
Where the pharmacy is the only one in the community.
Manage prescription pickups.
Notify patients who have prescriptions ready to pick up before the closure.
Cancel prescriptions not picked up before the closure in the pharmacy’s practice management system and the electronic health record to allow the patient to access the medication at another pharmacy.
Post notice of closure at the dispensary and the front entrance of the pharmacy for the duration of the closure. The notice must include:
the scheduled or anticipated start and end dates of the closure; and
additional information such as an emergency phone number or location of the nearest pharmacy, to promote access to pharmacy services.

Permanent Closure

Pharmacists-in-charge who intend to permanently close their pharmacy must contact the college at least 30 days before the intended date of closure.

Additional Resources

Temporary Pharmacy Closure Policy

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