Pharmacy technicians and pharmacists registered with the College are health professionals under the Health Professions Act and must uphold legislative requirements and professional obligations at all times.
There are specific classes of drugs under the Controlled Prescription Program (including narcotics) which have the potential for inappropriate use. These drugs must be written on a Controlled Prescription Program form for tracking purposes to reduce the potential for inappropriate prescribing and to prevent forgeries.
PharmaNet is a province wide computer network managed by the Provincial government. This network contains confidential personal profiles of everyone receiving prescription medications in B.C., whether dispensed in a community pharmacy or hospital outpatient pharmacy. This means PharmaNet tracks your entire prescription history, regardless of where you get your prescription filled in B.C. Information stored on PharmaNet helps your pharmacist make decisions about your overall health care including making sure your new medication will not interact with other medications you are taking.
Your pharmacist’s main responsibility is to find, fix and prevent drug related problems. Many medications can be used for more than one medical condition. In order to ensure that your medications are appropriate for you and that you will get the most benefit from them, your pharmacist has to understand why you are taking the medications. Sometimes they need to contact your doctor to confirm the reason the medication has been prescribed, or they may have some suggestions on a different medication or a different dosage that might work better for you.
Your pharmacist’s main responsibility is to find, fix and prevent drug related problems. Many medications can be used for more than one medical condition. In order to ensure that your medications are appropriate for you and that you will get the most benefit from them, your pharmacist has to understand why you are taking the medications.
There is a lot more to preparing your prescription than counting pills, typing a label and sticking it on a container. Your pharmacist checks the medication, dose and instructions to make sure they are right for you. S/he reviews your confidential local and PharmaNet profile to check for possible problems. This may include allergies or interactions with other medications you are taking. Your pharmacist enters the details of your current prescription onto your PharmaNet profile. The prescription is then filled and undergoes a final check before being dispensed.
The British Columbia PharmaCare program offers a number of programs which cover some or all of the cost of prescription drugs for people who live in British Columbia. Some people may also have private insurance plans (such as through their school or employer) that cover some or all of the remaining cost. You can also contact your pharmacist for additional information or assistance.
Yes. Please talk to your pharmacist. Too few patients take advantage of the pharmacist's knowledge and ask questions about non-prescription drugs and alternative therapies.