In certain exceptional circumstances, a pharmacist can dispense a prescription for a Controlled Prescription Program (CPP) drug from an out-of-province physician or Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) physician practitioner that's not on the Controlled Prescription Program form. In these situations, as with any exceptional cases, the pharmacist must use their professional judgment in their decision to dispense. The pharmacist can base their decision on the medical condition of their patient and surrounding circumstances.
However, it is the pharmacist’s responsibility to ensure that the prescription is legitimate, and that the practitioner is licensed to practise medicine, podiatry or veterinary medicine in Canada. It may be reasonable for some patients, for example those who live close to the B.C./Alberta border, to have a physician in Alberta, and their pharmacy in B.C. In those cases, it may be appropriate to continue to dispense a controlled drug prescription from outside of B.C.
In most other circumstances, however, if a particular patient makes a habit of asking for drugs without a CPP form, the pharmacist should refer the patient to a practitioner licensed to practise in B.C. or a CAF physician with CPP forms. Pharmacists should not continue to dispense the prescriptions.