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Practice Review Program
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Practice Reviews are currently being conducted onsite and virtually. More details will be provided upon selection. |
The Practice Review Program (PRP) is a review of a pharmacy professional's practice and the pharmacy where they work. The program aims to protect public safety by improving compliance with College Bylaws and Professional Practice Policies and ensuring consistent delivery of pharmacy services across BC.
Every pharmacy and pharmacy professional will be reviewed to ensure they meet College standards. The Program’s multi-year time frame allows for all pharmacies and pharmacy professionals currently practicing in BC to be reviewed on a cyclical basis. In some cases reviews may occur more frequently in order to address areas of concern.
The Practice Review Program first began in February 2015 and started with reviews in community pharmacy practice settings. The program expanded to include hospital pharmacy practice settings with reviews beginning in April 2017.
Quick Links
- How it Works
- Process Overview Poster
- Pharmacy Review
- Pharmacy Professionals Review
- Resources
How It Works
The Practice Review Program is split into two components: the Pharmacy Review and the Pharmacy Professionals Review.
Pharmacy managers, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will receive advanced notice of an upcoming review, as well as the areas that the College will focus on during the review.
Practice Reviews are based on College Bylaws and Professional Practice Policies. Reviews are conducted by a team of Compliance Officers who are all registered pharmacy professionals employed by the College. Compliance Officers record and document areas of compliance and non-compliance while observing pharmacy professionals throughout the review process. For areas of non-compliance action-items are assigned, if necessary.
Results of the Pharmacy Review are shared with the pharmacy manager, and results of all Pharmacy Professionals Reviews are shared confidentially with each individual pharmacist and pharmacy technician.
All elements of practice reviews – action items, results, and dates of completion – can be accessed online by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through the College’s secure eServices portal.
Community Pharmacy Practice Process Overview
Hospital Pharmacy Practice Process Overview
Pharmacy Review
The Pharmacy Review and focuses on the legislated physical requirements of a pharmacy and the responsibilities of a pharmacy manager.
The exact requirements and questions included as part of a pharmacy review are included in the Hospital Pharmacy and Community Pharmacy Review Forms*.
Complete a Pharmacy Manager and Pharmacy Self-Assessment
The Pharmacy forms are available to assist pharmacy managers in preparing for a pharmacy review, allowing them to assess their own practice setting against the requirements and identify any areas of non-compliance prior to the on-site pharmacy review. If there has been a change in requirements, the pharmacy will be reviewed using the current standards.
Even if your pharmacy is not scheduled for a review, it is a good idea to assess whether or not your pharmacy is compliant with the College’s bylaws and policies. As a pharmacy manager, you can also assess whether you are meeting the Pharmacy Manager Responsibilities set out by College bylaws and policies. Conducting a self-assessment using the pharmacy review criteria will also help you know what to expect during a practice review.
Use the following review forms* to conduct a self-assessment:
Community Practice
- Community Pharmacy Review Form*
Hospital Practice
- Hospital Pharmacy Review Form*
* These forms should be viewed as a sample of possible questions or areas of focus and do not include all applicable legislation and requirements. Compliance Officers may note additional items at their discretion, and not all items may be reviewed during each inspection. Pharmacy managers, owners, directors, and registrants remain fully responsible for ensuring ongoing compliance with all applicable standards and regulations.
Pharmacy Professionals Review
The Pharmacy Professionals Review is grounded in Board-approved focus areas that were identified as having the most impact on patient safety. The focus areas differ between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Based on Board direction, focus areas may change as the Practice Review Program progresses.
Focus areas for pharmacists in community or hospital practice:
- Patient Identification Verification
- Profile Check
- Counselling
- Documentation
Focus areas for pharmacy technicians in community and hospital practice:
- Patient Identification Verification
- Product Distribution
- Collaboration
- Documentation
Methods of Assessment
During the Pharmacy Professionals Review, Compliance Officers use two to three different methods to assess compliance with the standards set forth in each focus-area, depending if the review is conducted virtually or in person.
Observe (Action)
- Watch work performed
- Interact when clarification is needed
Recall (Case)
- Ask “How did you?”
- Review recent work (recall charts, orders, computer records, etc.)
Describe (Process)
- “How would you?”
PRP Support tools
PRP Support Tools are available to help registrants prepare for reviews, complete action items, and improve their practice. The following Support Tools provide comprehensive outlines of the requirements that comprise each of the four focus areas for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in both hospital and community practice.
PRP Support Tools for Hospital Practice
- Patient Identification Verification
- Profile Check
- Counselling
- Documentation
- Collaboration
- Product Distribution
PRP Support Tools for Community Practice
- Patient Identification Verification
- Profile Check
- Counselling
- Documentation
- Collaboration
- Product Distribution
- Practice Toolcard for Safe Drug Therapy
Complete a Pharmacy Professional Self-Assessment
Even if you are not scheduled for a review, it is a good idea to assess whether or not you are in compliance with the required College bylaws and policies within the PRP focus areas. Conducting a self-assessment using the pharmacy professionals review criteria can help you know what to expect during a practice review.
Use the following review forms to conduct a self-assessment:
Community Practice
- Community Pharmacist Review Form
- Community Pharmacy Technician Review Form
Hospital Practice
- Hospital Pharmacist Review Form
- Hospital Pharmacy Technician Review Form
contact
Have questions? Contact the Practice Review Program using the email addresses below with questions or comments.
- Community Practice Reviews: [email protected]
- Hospital Practice Reviews: [email protected]
Resources
Please use the following resources to familiarize yourself with the review process and prepare for your review.