The College of Pharmacists of BC has released the Winter 2014 issue of ReadLinks:
This is a message issued by the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia on behalf of the Provincial Health Officer.
Important Information on Ebola Virus Disease
Members of the public play a key role on College committees. In addition to a unique perspective, they help ensure transparency and bring a wider range of knowledge and skills to enhance the effectiveness of the committee.
The College is pleased to announce the results of the most recent Board elections held for pharmacists in Districts 2 and 4, and pharmacy technicians in District 8. The successful candidates (indicated in bold, below) will begin their term at the beginning of the November Board meeting on Friday, November 21, 2014.
The College issued the following news release on September 26, 2014 at 9:50 AM PDT:
College of Pharmacists of BC shuts down Marigold Compounding and Natural Pharmacy in Courtenay over public safety concerns
The College of Pharmacists of BC, a member of Health Profession Regulators of BC, is pleased to participate in the public awareness campaign "Care Safe Trust". Here is a public service announcement that will be shown over the next twelve months on Global TV.
Polls are now open for District 2, 4, and 8. In order to vote you must log into eServices.
For instructions on how to vote, click on the link below:
E-Voting Instructions
The College of Pharmacists of BC has filed an appeal of the July 25, 2014 decision of the Supreme Court of British Columbia to the BC Court of Appeal.
The College is pleased to announce that it has come to an agreement with the Canadian Pharmacists Association to provide universal access to e-Therapeutics+ Complete to each and every registered pharmacist and pharmacy technician in British Columbia. e-Therapeutics+ Complete provides pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other health care professionals with online access to evidence-based,...
The Supreme Court of British Columbia has released its decision on the College’s bylaws prohibiting the provision of incentives for prescriptions or pharmacy services. The decision is available here.
The College has not made any decisions regarding possible next steps.
The College of Pharmacists of BC would like to clarify that while Health Canada has issued a new interpretation on the storage of prescription records electronically, requirements in BC for storage of original hard copy prescriptions have not changed. Changes are under consideration.
The College of Pharmacists of BC has released the Spring 2014 issue of ReadLinks:
The 2013/2014 Annual Report includes the College’s audited financial statements, as well as information from various departments and Board committees that assist the College in upholding its mandate of protecting the public by ensuring that registrants provide safe and effective pharmacy care to achieve better patient health outcomes.
The College has extended its limited rebate offer for BC pharmacists who enroll in the upcoming ADAPT program sessions in August and October 2014.
The Supreme Court of British Columbia has reserved its decision, with respect to the challenge to the College’s bylaws prohibiting the provision of incentives for prescriptions or pharmacy services. The College will provide an update once the decision is received.
The full hearing on the College’s bylaws prohibiting the provision of incentives for prescriptions or pharmacy services, is scheduled to be heard in the B.C. Supreme Court on May 13, 2014.
Under the Health Professions Act, registrants of the College of Pharmacists of BC are required to consent to a criminal record check (CRC) at least once every 5 years.
The 5 year mark for consent and re-check for the CRC is upcoming for many registrants this year.
You will be notified by email when your CRC is due for re-check.
In light of the recent news regarding the “Heartbleed Bug” exposing security flaws in some systems, the College has reviewed all its systems and has determined that all its systems are unaffected.
College systems remain secure and continue to operate efficiently. Please contact your personal IT support team to see if you or your systems may be vulnerable to the “Heartbleed Bug”.
The College has received a number of requests for clarity around the requirements of a prescription and a number of common practices in their processing that ensure smoother patient care.
VANCOUVER – Enhancing the quality of pharmacy care in BC is a priority for the College of Pharmacists of BC as it begins to roll out initiatives that will ultimately lead to better health outcomes for patients. These initiatives are part of the regulatory authority for pharmacy’s new strategic plan, being released to the public for the first time today.
On Wednesday, March 5, 2014 the College made the following update:
Example #1 - Updated March 5, 2014
Are glucose meters and diabetes test strips included in the prohibition of providing incentives?
Full Transition to 10mg/ml on March 1
Remember that as of March 1, all methadone maintenance treatment prescriptions must be dispensed with the commercially available 10mg/ml methadone (cherry flavoured) oral preparation. All patients are to have been transitioned over during the month of February.
The College of Pharmacists of BC Winter 2013/2014 ReadLinks is now available:
Methadone Transition Begins February 1, 2014.
Not completed the mandatory training? Now is the time.
As of February 1, 2014 all pharmacy managers, staff and relief pharmacists and pharmacy technicians employed in a community pharmacy that provides pharmacy services related to MMT must have:
Important Information for MMT Transition: Accepting Prescriptions Starting February 1
NEW
Methadone maintenance prescriptions prescribed during January, 2014 on the old MMT CPP form, but with a start date of February 1 or later, may be accepted and dispensed using the 1mg/ml standard using the old MMT CPP form.
Vancouver, BC – British Columbia’s 26 regulated health professions, governed by 22 colleges under the Health Professions Act, and 1 under the Social Workers Act, have incorporated under the Society Act to become the Health Profession Regulators of BC Society.
Update - Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) Controlled Prescription Form
If you have taken the live or online MMT training you should be aware that the MMT program is transitioning to only one prescription form. As of February 1, 2014 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians may only accept prescriptions written on the new MMT Controlled Prescription form.
Starting February 1, 2014 changes to the Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program come into effect. Over the next few weeks, the College will be sending you a number of MMT-related emails. These emails will remind and update you regarding all matters related to the MMT program and are important to review in order to successfully make the transition to the new 10 mg/ml standard.
Beginning February 1, 2014, the current methadone formula dispensed by pharmacists will change. British Columbia will transition to a new methadone formula, called Methadose, which provides a safer, more consistent treatment for patients, but with ten times the strength of the current formula.
The BC Supreme Court has denied a request from Sobeys West Inc. And Jace Holdings Ltd. for an injunction against the enforcement of Bylaws prohibiting the provision of incentives for prescriptions or pharmacy services. As a result, College bylaws prohibiting incentives remain in full force.