Reporting Requirements for Medical Assistance in Dying: Preventing Common Paperwork Errors Aug. 28, 2019

Reporting Requirements for Medical Assistance in Dying: Preventing Common Paperwork Errors

New reporting requirements for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) have been in in effect since November 1, 2018.  As part of the new reporting process, all provincial and federal reportable information began to be collected through new provincial forms for MAiD through a streamlined the reporting process which fulfilled both the provincial and federal reporting obligations for MAiD. 

Pharmacists who dispense drugs for the purposes of MAiD are required to submit all required information to the Ministry of Health within 6 business days after the scheduled date of drug administration.

Common Paperwork Errors 

In April 2019, the Ministry of Health used feedback from practitioners and pharmacists involved in MAiD to inform minor updates made to improve the forms involved in the MAiD Reporting process. 

Since then, analysis by the Ministry of Health’s Medical Assistance in Dying Oversight Unit has identified several common paperwork errors in forms submitted by pharmacists and other practitioners.

Pharmacists involved in the administration of medical assistance in Dying are asked to take the following common paperwork errors into consideration to ensure all reporting requirements are met.

Common Pharmacist Errors

• Failing to note the time that medications are dispensed and returned, in the fields displayed below, on the 1641 Dispensing Record form.

• Failing to tick the boxes in the fields displayed below, indicating that the medications are consistent with the Medication Administration Record on the 1641 Dispensing Record form.

Prescription Form

The British Columbia Medical Assistance in Dying Pharmacy Protocols guidance document and the British Columbia Medical Assistance in Dying Prescription form (includes the pre-printed order and medication administration record) are not available for general distribution. 

The prescriber will provide a copy of the necessary forms to the pharmacist, who will then complete the necessary prescription sections and send completed copies of the forms back to the prescriber for submission to the Ministry of Health MAiD Oversite Unit. 

Pharmacists may familiarize themselves with the standardized drug protocols by accessing the British Columbia Pharmacy Protocols guidance document through the ‘Resources’ section of the College of Pharmacists’ secure eServices site.(eServices > Resources > MAID.) 

Common Pharmacist Errors

• Not initialing next to the statement on the prescription that states: 

“I confirm the medications prescribed on this form are intended for the purpose of medical assistance in dying, and the patient’s drug therapy has been discussed.” 

Pharmacists need to communicate with the physician to ensure that the physician takes the copy of the prescription after it has been initialed by the pharmacist.

Medical Assistance in Dying in BC

Learn more about Medical Assistance in Dying and the related reporting requirements at bcpharmacists.org/MAiD

Questions

For questions or concerns regarding the new regulations and reporting requirements, please contact the Ministry of Health’s Medical Assistance in Dying Oversight Unit or Health Canada.

BC Ministry of Health - Medical Assistance in Dying Oversight Unit
[email protected]
778-698-7497

Health Canada (Federal Regulations)
[email protected]
1-833-219-5528

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are always welcome to contact the College’s Practice Support with questions or concerns about pharmacy practice.

Practice Support
[email protected]