No, according to the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, you may not sell pure grain alcohol directly to the public for any reason. Pharmacists may only purchase and possess pure grain alcohol for the following reasons in connection with the pharmacy business.

• To compound medicine.
• To use as a solvent.
• To use as a preservative.
• To sell to physicians and hospitals as a sterilizing agent.

Non-pharmacists engaged in a manufacturing business may apply to the Liquor Control Board manager to get a permit to purchase. Direct them to the Liquor Control and Licensing Act website: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/

Using professional judgment, a pharmacist may dispense an emergency supply of prescription drugs to a patient. The days supply will depend on the situation, the drug involved, and how long it will take the patient to see a physician. For example, if a patient is on well-established maintenance therapy, it may be appropriate for a pharmacist to dispense a one-month supply. However, for narcotics and controlled drugs, the pharmacist must assess each situation on a case-by-case basis. Most often, only a one- or two-day supply is warranted, but if you have a palliative care patient, a one-week supply may be appropriate. In each case, process the prescription as an emergency supply prescription using the pharmacist’s ID as the prescriber ID, and clearly document the situation on the prescription.

An electronic prescriber’s signature is only acceptable if the signature is unique. Health Canada considers a unique electronic signature to be equivalent to a paper-and-pen signature. It must be a fresh, new signature written on the prescription with an electronic pen pad, similar to signing a pen to paper prescription. It is an illegal electronic signature if it is cut and pasted into an electronic prescription.

To ensure the signature is unique, the pharmacist should compare the signature each time with an old prescription. The signatures should be slightly different if they are unique, as is an original signature each time.

If you don’t have an old signature with which to compare the current signature, please call the prescriber to determine if a new, original electronic signature is generated for each new prescription.

A computer-generated prescription that is given to the patient or faxed to the pharmacy must have an original prescriber’s signature or a unique electronic signature.

No, only nurses registered as nurse practitioners (NPs) with the College of Registered Nurses of B.C. (CRNBC) have prescribing privileges, according to their scope of practice, which can be found on the CRNBC website:

https://www.crnbc.ca/Standards/ScopePractice/Pages/Default.aspx.

When processing a NP prescription, use practitioner ID reference code 96 and the NP’s five-digit CRNBC license number. If you get an error message from PharmaNet that reads, “101 – Prescriber not found,” the nurse may not be registered as a NP with the CRNBC. If this occurs, contact the CRNBC or the PharmaNet help desk for assistance. Furthermore, check with your software vendor to determine if the title “Dr.” can be omitted from the prescriber field on the prescription label when the prescriber is someone other than a physician or dentist.

Pharmacists who do not provide specialty compounding services have two options: 1. Refer the patient to a pharmacy that can prepare the product. 2. Obtain the specialty compound by contracting with another pharmacist who provides the service. A contract between the two pharmacies must be signed and retained by both pharmacy managers if the service is contracted out.

If you have any questions or concerns, you are welcome to contact the OnCall Pharmacist at 1-800-663-1940.