ACPNews MayJun2014.qxp ACPNews · PINNACLE CATEGORY RECIPIENTS Jeff Schlotter, Rexall Long Term...

newsMay / June 2014

Healthy Albertansthrough excellencein pharmacy practice

IN THIS ISSUE...Notes From Council

3 n Council meeting summary

4 n Council election results

Registration & Licensure

5 n It’s renewal time forpharmacists and pharmacies

Quality Pharmacy Practice

6 n Understanding pharmacytechnician practice

9 n 4 tips when handling healthinformation

n In memory

10 n 7 tips for additionalprescribing authorizationapplications

11 n Which 5 lab tests can’t apharmacist order?

n Competence Programupdates getting exciting

12 n Jurisprudence learningmodule now online

The APEX Awards recognize excellence in pharmacy practice in Alberta.Congratulations to this year’s recipients. We applaud the efforts of this year'srecipients and are proud to celebrate them.

Rita Bowron, Safeway Pharmacy #285, Calgary

M.J. Huston Pharmacist of DistinctionAwarded to a pharmacist who has demonstrated leadership andadvanced the pharmacist profession through a long-timecommitment to innovation, continual professional development,and quality patient care.

Fuelled by a love of learning, Rita became a certifieddiabetes educator and has built a practice in which sheprovides expert chronic disease management services andcounselling. She collaborates daily with physicians,endocrinologists, and other pharmacists, accepting patients

through referrals and by appointment. Rita provides these patients with top-notchassessment, education, and instructions.

PINNACLE CATEGORY RECIPIENTS

Jeff Schlotter, Rexall Long Term Care Pharmacy #7252,Edmonton

Award of ExcellenceAwarded to a pharmacist for exceptional work, commitment andinnovation in making a notable contribution to pharmacy and thecommunity through a single unique accomplishment orcontribution.

“Find an area you enjoy and be the resource your patientsneed in that area.” That’s what Jeff Scholtter did when hecreated a monitoring tool to help the staff at the Jasper PlaceContinuing Care Centre appropriately evaluate the use of

antipsychotic medication among seniors. At Jasper Place, the new tool has reducedantipsychotics used in the absence of psychosis or related conditions from 26.8% to15.2% in a six-month period (Alberta and Canada average close to 30%). The new tool isnow being piloted by AHS, with the goal of reducing the inappropriate use ofantipsychotics province-wide.

aφnews is published six times per yearby the Alberta College of Pharmacists.

Editor in chief: Greg EberhartManaging editor: Karen Mills

Please send comments or submissionsfor publication [email protected].

The deadline for submissions for theJuly/August 2014 issue is June 5.

ACP Council ExecutivePresident: Kelly Olstad President Elect: Brad WillseyExecutive Member at Large: Clayton BraunPast President: Kaye Moran

Councillor email addresses are posted ourwebsite under About ACP/Council.

Staff DirectoryRegistrar: Greg EberhartDeputy Registrar: Dale CooneyCommunications Director: Karen MillsComplaints Director: James KrempienOperations and Finance Director: Lynn

PaulitschPractice Development Director: Debbie LeeProfessional Practice Director: Shao LeeRegistration and Competence Director:

Heather BakerPharmacy Practice Consultants:

Tim Fluet, Chantal Lambert, Martha Nystrom, Monty Stanowich,Jennifer Voice

Registration Manager: Linda Hagen

Staff email addresses are posted on ourwebsite under Contact Us.

Alberta College of Pharmacists1100, 8215 - 112 Street NWEdmonton AB T6G 2C8780-990-0321 / 1-877-227-3838Fax: 780-990-0328

pharmacists.ab.ca

news

aφnews – May / June 2014 2

APEX Awards – Pinnacle Category Recipients continued from page 1

Future of Pharmacy

Ashley DavidsonAssociate Owner /Pharmacist, ShoppersDrug Mart #323;St. Albert

Future of Pharmacy

Tim LeungPharmacist, University of Alberta Hospital;Edmonton

Future of Pharmacy

Ashley YoungPharmacist, PharmacareFulfillment Centre;Edmonton

Friend of Pharmacy

Dr. Andrew Cave Family physician andprofessor, Department ofFamily Medicine, Facultyof Medicine and Dentistry,U of A; Edmonton

Pfizer ConsumerHealthcare Bowl ofHygeia –

Don MakowichukPharmactist / Co-owner,LifeMed Pharmacies;Edmonton

The APEX Awards arejointly funded,promoted, andpresented by theAlberta Pharmacists'Association (RxA) andthe Alberta College ofPharmacists (ACP).

Read full profiles ofall recipients on theACP website.

PEAK CATEGORY RECIPIENTS

Safeway Pharmacy #281,Airdrie, Chris Borys,manager

W.L. Boddy PharmacyTeam AwardAwarded to a healthcare teamwho, by virtue of theircollaboration skills and use ofpharmacists' full scope ofpractice, positively impact thehealth of individuals in theircommunity.

Pharmacy manager Chris Borys and his team provide exceptional patient care despitetime and space constraints by putting their mantra – “Make healthcare accessible for thepatient; adapt to change; show initiative” – into practice.


ACP council held its regularquarterly meeting on April 9 and 10in Edmonton. Following is asummary of the council’sdeliberations and decisions.

Introduction of new publicmembers Mary O’Neill (St. Albert) and Al Evans(Calgary) were welcomed to council asnew public members, filling positionspreviously held by Pat Matusko andVi Becker. Both bring a wealth ofknowledge and experience that hasalready added significant value tocouncil’s deliberations and decisions.

Audit and annual report Council received and accepted theaudited financial report presented by itsexternal auditors KPMG. Council alsoapproved its annual report for 2013/14.The annual report is posted on ACP’swebsite under About ACP>Annual reports.

Approval of fees for complaintreviews and hearing appealsCouncil approved the following fees.

Fee GST Total

Hearing tribunal appeal $574 $28.70 $602.70

Complaint review request $200 $10.00 $210.00

A member of the public may request acomplaint review if they are dissatisfiedwith the complaint director’s dismissal oftheir complaint. A defendant in a hearingmay appeal to a panel of council if theyare dissatisfied with the hearingtribunal’s decision.

The fees are set to be:

n High enough to signify that this is aserious process to which an applicantmust commit,

n Not so high as to prevent anindividual from being able to applyfor a review,

n In keeping with other ACP decisionreview fees and similar fees chargedby other regulatory bodies.

As these are new fees, this proposalrequired amendments to Schedule A ofACP’s bylaws and so a 60-day reviewperiod was held from December 19, 2013to February 20, 2014.

Election of officers Council elected its officers for the2014/15 council term. Rick Hackman(District 3) was elected president electand Taciana Pereira (District 3) waselected member at large. The councilexecutive committee (effective July 1,2014) will be:

n Brad Willsey (District 1) – President

n Rick Hackman (District 3) – President Elect

n Taciana Pereira (District 3) – Executive Member at Large

n Kelly Olstad (District 4) – Past President

n Greg Eberhart - Registrar

Annual General Meeting ACP’s Annual General Meeting will beheld on the evening of June 11 inEdmonton. Council is committed toengagement with our registrants.Therefore, the annual meeting will againbe webcast. Pre-registered individualsparticipating through distance deliverywill be able to vote on any resolutionsthat are presented. Please watch The Linkfor further details about the venue,starting time, and instructions forregistration.

Engagement with the HealthQuality Council of Alberta(HQCA) Council met with board members of theHQCA. The discussion highlighted thesignificant contributions that ACP hasmade to the HQCA, mostly through itsHealth Quality Network. Opportunitiesfor continued collaboration wereexplored. HQCA expressed interest infurther studying the impact ofpharmacist prescribing; however, werereminded that there was likely greateropportunity to focus on patients andtheir experiences in receiving appropriate

drug therapy, regardless of the prescriber.HQCA also expressed interest in workingwith ACP to study the perceptions ofcommunity based pharmacists aboutpatient safety. ACP will continue toexplore these possibilities with HQCA.

Looking to the future Each council meeting includes a segmenton generative thinking, time dedicated tofocusing on the future of the pharmacyprofessions in Alberta’s health system.Council has been deliberating pharmacypractice in 2025 and beyond, exploringchanges in population and health systemneeds, health care delivery, pharmacypractice, and changes that ACP mustmake to fulfill its mandate in the future.Our goal is to identify changes that canimprove accessibility to, and the qualityof, pharmacy practice. This may meanremoving some barriers, and consideringnew ways to monitor and supportpractice improvement.

Introduction to ACP’s newCompetence Program Council reviewed the rules for theenhanced Competence Program thatcomes into effect on July 1, 2014, andaccepted several recommendations foramendment from the competencecommittee. Council received a previewof the web-based module beingdeveloped for registrants to managetheir competence requirements, as wellas an online orientation program. Moredetails about the program will bereleased in June.

Notes fromCouncil

continued on page 4


Councilelection results The District 4, 5, and technicianelections closed on April 10 and theresults are in. Congratulations to theelected councillors. New councillorswill begin their terms on July 1.

Thank you to all candidates andvoters for your participation.

Inducements prohibitionapprovedCouncil approved amendments to theCode of Ethics, Standards for the Practice ofPharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, andStandards for the Operation of LicensedPharmacies. In doing so, council reviewedthe comments received during the reviewand comment period, resulting in somechanges to the scope of the prohibitionprior to approval.

Council originally established May 1,2014 as the date for the amendments tocome into effect. Correspondence wasforwarded to pharmacy groups,requesting that they identify anytechnical or operational impedimentsthat would impede compliance beforethis date. As a result of feedbackreceived, council amended the date forcoming into effect to June 10, 2014, whichis 60 days after council’s decision toadopt the amendments.

The college adopted the prohibitionbecause:

1. We recognize that pharmacists arehealthcare professionals, not justvendors of drugs. The prohibitionacknowledges pharmacists’ changingrole and the complex patient carepharmacists are now starting to do -adapting prescriptions, administeringinjections, writing care plans,coordinating drug therapy, andprescribing. In doing so, pharmacistsare assuming more significant rolesas essential healthcare professionals.It is not appropriate for healthprofessionals making such criticalcare decisions to be involved inoffering inducements to people touse their services.

2. Healthcare delivery is evolving.Healthcare delivery is becoming moreteam based (for example, PrimaryCare Networks and Family CareClinics). Trust and strong relationships

are required for success. Pharmacistsneed to have a trusting relationshipwith patients for the best care. Thefoundation for these relationshipsneeds to be trust, not the rewards apatient can get. In team-based care,pharmacists also need to have trustingrelationships with the members of thepatient's healthcare team.

When a patient transfers pharmaciesor uses multiple pharmacies by reasonof the inducements provided, thepatient's relationship with thepharmacist is not the only oneaffected. It also impacts therelationships between the pharmacistand the other members of the patient'shealthcare team. It takes time toestablish a complete patient history,mutual therapy goals, and lines ofcommunication among team memberswho often practice in differentlocations and see the patient overdiffering periods of time. If teammembers are constantly changed oronly have access to portions of apatient's medical and care history, itmakes it extremely difficult for themto work together effectively andensure continuity of care.

3. Alberta is not unique in addressinginducements. Seven otherprovinces have rules in variousforms that prohibit or restrict theuse of inducements in pharmacy.For example, Ontario hasprohibited inducements onprescriptions and prescriptionservices for over a decade.

As the regulatory body, it’s our job tomake sure practice environmentssupport our registrants and the carethey provide to patients. It is also ourjob to set and maintain high ethical andpractice standards, and support theintegrity of pharmacy. The prohibitionmaintains the high ethical and practicestandards we and Albertans expectfrom health professionals.

For more information, please see theFAQ document and background paperposted on the ACP website.

District 4 (Central Alberta)Kelly Olstad

District 5 (Calgary)Brad Couldwell

Pharmacy Technician (South)Jennifer Teichroeb


Pharmacist practice permitrenewals due by May 31ACP emailed renewal notices to allpharmacists on April 17. If youhave misplaced that message, youcan find all the details in the“Pharmacist online renewal now open”posting under Spotlight on the ACPwebsite homepage.

Pharmacy licence renewalsdue by June 15Pharmacy licence renewals have beenmailed to each pharmacy. Be sure tocontact our office if you have notreceived your pharmacy renewalpackage yet.

What if someone else is paying apharmacist’s fees?

Pharmacists: If your employer is payingyour fees, you are still responsible forensuring ACP receives payment beforeMay 31. Your practice permit will not beissued until ACP receives payment andyou cannot practice without a valid permit.

Licensees and proprietors: If your

pharmacy is paying the renewal fees foryour employees as well as for yourpharmacy, remember that the payment foryour pharmacists must reach our office byMay 31.

Questions? Contact us.

Pharmacist reinstatement requests:[email protected]

Pharmacist renewal questions:[email protected]

CEU, CPD log, audit questions:[email protected]

Pharmacy renewal questions:[email protected]

Tel: 780-990-0321TF: 1-877-227-3838Fax: 780-990-0328

New this year for pharmacistrenewalsIf you currently hold Authorization toAdminister Drugs by Injection, andwish to continue to hold thisauthorization effective July 1, you will berequired to re-certify for it when yourenew your practice permit this year by

completing a professional declarationindicating that you:

i. Have taken action to maintain bothyour clinical and technicalcompetencies required foradministering injections,i

ii. Have and will maintain valid CPR(minimum Level C),

iii. Have and will maintain valid FirstAid certification (minimum standardor emergency),

iv. Have administered an injection withinthe past three years.

Pharmacists who are unable to sign thisprofessional declaration because theyhave not maintained the competence andproficiency required or have notadministered an injection within the pastthree years can complete their onlinepractice permit renewal but theirauthorization to provide drugs byinjection will expire on June 30. Thesepharmacists must contact the ACP officeif they wish to regain this authorization.

If you hold this authorization and areselected to participate in a learningportfolio audit, you will be required tosubmit:

n Documents that verify all CEUsclaimed on your CPD log;

n Proof of holding appropriateprofessional liability insurancecoverage;

n Proof of valid first aid and CPRcertification;

n Information regarding the lastinjection(s) you administered such asapproximate date, number ofinjection(s) and type(s) of injection.

If your CPD log does not includelearning directed at maintaining yourclinical and technical competencies toadminister injections, you may be askedto provide information to indicate howyou have maintained your competencies.

Registration& Licensure

It’s renewal time for pharmacists and pharmacies!

1. To see NAPRA’s Competencies on Injection for Canadian Pharmacists, go tohttp://www.napra.org/Content_Files/Files/Supplemental_Competencies_on_Injection_for_Canadian_Pharmacists2012.pdf


The Standards of Practice for Pharmacistsand Pharmacy Technicians outlines ACP’spractice requirements. Many of thestandards apply to both pharmacists andpharmacy technicians, meaning that thestandard is the same whether the work iscompleted by a pharmacist or apharmacy technician. In other instancesthough, the standards outline thedifference between what is expected of apharmacist versus a pharmacytechnician. The following standard-by-standard comparison clarifies whatresponsibilities a regulated pharmacytechnician may undertake.

STANDARD 1 requires both pharmacistsand pharmacy technicians to actprofessionally. Standard 1.8 specificallyrequires that pharmacy technicians:

n Only engage in restricted activitiesthat they are authorized andcompetent to perform;

n Be aware of the limits of their personalcompetence and only provide serviceswithin these limitations; and

n Be aware of circumstances when theyshould refer the patient to apharmacist. The standard goes on tospecify that this includes:

• When the pharmacy technicianidentifies an actual or potentialdrug therapy problem;

• When there are alerts generated bythe pharmacy software systemduring entry or processing of aprescription that requiretherapeutic knowledge, clinicalanalysis, or assessment; or

• The patient asks questions or seeksinformation that requirestherapeutic knowledge, clinicalanalysis, or assessment.

STANDARD 2 sets expectations forestablishing and maintaining professionalrelationships with patients. Standard 2.2explains that a pharmacy technician isexpected to:

n Assist the pharmacist in identifyingthe patient’s health needs andexpectations;

n Collect information required forproviding pharmacy services; and

n Consider that information in theirwork including when dispensing,compounding, or determining whento refer to the pharmacist.

Understanding pharmacy technician practice:A standard by standard look

QualityPharmacyPractice

The scope of practice of a pharmacytechnician is defined in Schedule 19 ofthe Health Professions Act:

In their practice, pharmacy technicianspromote safe and effective drugdistribution and, in relation to that, doone or more of the following under thedirection of a pharmacist:

a) receive, gather, enter and storeprescription and patientinformation,

b) store and repackage products,

c) participate in the management ofsystems for drug distribution andinventory control,

d) participate in the research,development, implementation andevaluation of quality assurance andrisk management policies,procedures and activities,

e) provide restricted activitiesauthorized by the regulations,

f) instruct patients about the use ofhealth aids and devices, and

g) teach the practice of pharmacytechnicians.

The scope is further detailed in Section21 of the Pharmacists and PharmacyTechnicians Profession Regulation:

1) Subject to subsection (2), apharmacy technician is authorizedto perform, within the practice ofpharmacy technicians and inaccordance with the Standards ofPractice, the following restrictedactivities under the direction of aclinical pharmacist or a courtesypharmacist:

a) to dispense a Schedule 1 drugor Schedule 2 drug;

b) to compound, provide forselling or sell a Schedule 1 drugor a Schedule 2 drug;

c) to compound blood products.

2) A pharmacy technician who isauthorized to perform the restrictedactivity described in subsection(1)(a) may only perform thatrestricted activity if:

a) a clinical pharmacist or courtesypharmacist has evaluated theprescription for the drug,

b) a clinical pharmacist or courtesypharmacist has assessed thepatient, the patient’s healthhistory and medication recordand has determined that thedrug therapy is appropriate forthe patient, and

c) a clinical pharmacist or courtesypharmacist is available tocounsel the patient and tomonitor the patient’s drugtherapy

What is a pharmacy technician’s scope of practice?


STANDARD 3 requires pharmacists toconsider appropriate information toassess the patient. This requirement existswhenever the pharmacist providesservices such as prescribing, providingadvice, or reviewing drug utilization.This assessment is also required when adrug is dispensed, regardless of whetherit is dispensed by the pharmacist or by apharmacy technician.

The standard specifies that the only timethis assessment can be delayed is if drugsare dispensed frequently in limitedquantities for compliance or when thedrugs will be administered by aregulated health professional. Note thateven if the assessment is delayed due tocompliance dispensing, a pharmacistmust conduct an assessment at leastevery 90 days.

Although a pharmacy technician maytake responsibility for accuratedispensing of a drug at initial fill or atrefill, a pharmacist must considerappropriate information to assesswhether the drug therapy is appropriatebefore it can be released.

STANDARD 4 and 5 outline therequirement of the pharmacist to identifyactual or potential drug therapyproblems and to take appropriate actionwhen they are identified. A pharmacytechnician is not required to consider

whether a drug therapy problem exists;however, we recognize that, in theirwork, technicians may identify problems.If this occurs, Standard 5.2 indicates thatthe technician must bring the problemand any contributing factors to theattention of the pharmacist.

STANDARD 6 outlines the requirementto ensure a prescription is appropriate,current, authentic, and complete beforeit is dispensed. This standarddifferentiates the responsibilities thatmust be completed by a pharmacistfrom those that may be completed by apharmacy technician.

n A pharmacist must determinewhether the prescription isappropriate for the patient.

n A pharmacy technician or apharmacist can take responsibility fordetermining that the prescription iscurrent, authentic, and complete. Thestandard outlines the expectations forthese requirements.

n A pharmacy technician may acceptverbal orders for prescriptions.Standard 6.8 describes therequirements for pharmacists andpharmacy technicians.

Not specified in the standards, butcommunicated recently by ACP, is thefact that the Controlled Drugs andSubstances Act and its regulations do notinclude pharmacy technicians. Becausethey are not included in the Act,pharmacy technicians may not acceptverbal orders for narcotics, controlleddrugs, or targeted substances.

STANDARD 7 outlines the requirementsfor dispensing and applies to bothpharmacists and pharmacy technicians.The pharmacy technician may takeresponsibility for all of the dispensingfunctions, including completing the finalcheck to ensure that the drug and thelabel are correct and that the appropriateauxiliary labels are affixed.

The only thing in this standard that islimited to a pharmacist is the decisionabout using a DIN number in place of thedrug name on a prescription label.

Although rare, if this occurs it must bebased upon the judgment of thepharmacist.

STANDARD 8 includes the requirementsfor releasing drugs to a patient.Pharmacy technicians are allowed torelease drugs to patients. Likepharmacists, they are required to identifythe patient, the drug being provided, andprovide any information about refills. Inaddition, the standard identifies specificthings a technician must do.

Standard 8.2 specifies that the pharmacytechnician must ensure that apharmacist has:

n Assessed the patient and determinedthat the drug therapy is appropriate;

n Evaluated the prescription; and

n Provided the patient withinformation, i.e. counselling, asrequired of pharmacists in thestandard.

In addition, the pharmacy technicianmust:

n Inform the patient that a pharmacist isavailable to speak with them ifdesired, and

n Use his/her judgement to refer thepatient to the pharmacist for adialogue if necessary.

continued on page 8


STANDARD 9 indicates that pharmacytechnicians must refer patients to thepharmacist if they determine that theyrequire assistance or may face a risk fromthe use of a Schedule 3 drug. Thetechnician may enter into a dialogue andprovide information to patients regardinghealthcare products, aids, or devices.

Pharmacy technicians may takeresponsibility for compounding.STANDARD 10 outlines the requirements.Similar to Standard 7, the majority of thisstandard applies to both pharmacists andpharmacy technicians in that either onemay perform the duty. However, if thereis no compounding formula available orif the technician deviates from theprocedure outlined in the formula, thepharmacist must be consulted and thepharmacist must use his or her judgmentto determine the appropriate action.

A pharmacy technician may performthe final check on a compound. Theexpectations of the standards are thesame for both pharmacists andtechnicians.

STANDARD 11 through 17 do not applyto pharmacy technicians becausetechnicians are not authorized toprescribe or administer drugs.

Pharmacy technicians are required todocument the work that they do. Theprocess of creating and maintainingpatient records is outlined in STANDARD18. The expectations for pharmacytechnicians mirror those for pharmacists.

STANDARD 19, the prohibition ofaccepting drugs for reuse, applies toequally to pharmacists and pharmacytechnicians.

STANDARD 20 includes the requirementsfor providing direction and supervision.Pharmacy technicians must work underthe direction (different than supervision)of a pharmacist.

n The pharmacist who providesdirection must work at the samepharmacy as the pharmacy technician;however, that pharmacist is notrequired to be working on the sameshift as the pharmacist.

n The pharmacist who providesdirection must ensure that there arepolicies and procedures in place toensure that there is always apharmacist available to provideguidance to any pharmacy technicianswho work in the pharmacy and totake responsibility for those activitiesthat must be completed by apharmacist. These activities includeevaluating prescriptions, assessingappropriateness of therapy,monitoring drug therapy, andcounselling patients.

The pharmacist providing direction isaccountable for the environment inwhich the work is done; however, thepharmacy technician, as a regulatedhealth professional, is responsible for thework that they do.

Supervision refers to the supervision ofrestricted activities – those activities thatmust be performed by a regulated healthprofessional. Technicians registered onthe pharmacy technician register areregulated health professionals; therefore,they do not need to be supervised whendispensing or compounding.

Other non-regulated employees such aspharmacy assistants, students, etc. mustbe supervised if they are assisting withrestricted activities by counting andpackaging drugs or measuring andmixing drugs for compounding.

Pharmacy technicians may superviseothers as long as they are authorized toperform the activity themselves. Forexample, a technician can supervise anassistant in the counting and packagingof drugs, but they cannot supervise apharmacy student assessing patients.Likewise, a pharmacy assistant maycount and package a drug for dispensingand a pharmacy technician may performthe final check of the drug prior torelease.

STANDARD 21 describes therequirements when repackaging drugs.This standard mirrors the standardsregarding dispensing (see Standard 7).A pharmacist or a pharmacy technicianmay take responsibility for completingthe final check.

In short, pharmacists must still assess theappropriateness of each prescription andassess and counsel patients. Once thepharmacist has assessed the patient andtheir prescriptions, regulated pharmacytechnicians may compound anddispense drugs without a pharmacisthaving to perform the final check. Theymay also supervise other technicians,assistants and pharmacy technicianstudents in the pharmacy.

Understanding pharmacy technicianpractice continued from page 7

Who can use thetitle pharmacytechnician?As of July 1, 2011, pharmacy technicianbecame a restricted title. Onlyindividuals registered on ACP’spharmacy technician register orcourtesy pharmacy technicianregisters may use the followingtitles:

a) pharmacy technician;

b) pharmacy technologist;

c) dispensary technician;

d) dispensary technologist;

e) Pharm.Tech.;

f) Ph.T.;

g) R.Ph.T.

A provisional pharmacy technicianmay use the title provisionalpharmacy technician.

Source: Section 15 of the Pharmacists andPharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation.


Notesfrom the field

4 tips when handling health informationOur office has received questions from both pharmacists and patients about thehandling of patient health information. Here are four tips to help you and your patients:

DONOTuse health

information for anynon-health reasons

(e.g., looking upfriends and/or

family, or for socialreasons). DO

be careful whencleaning out

documents. Beforerecycling,

ensure that no patientinformation is stillincluded on any of

the documents.

DOmeet your obligationsas a custodian whencollecting, sharing,disclosing health

information.

More resources

n aφnews, Sept/Oct 2013 – This issue featured a special 10-page section on handlinghealth information

n HIA resources from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner ofAlberta - http://www.oipc.ab.ca/pages/Resources/HIA.aspx �

DOlook to ACP’s guide,

Helping pharmacists andpharmacy technicians

understand the HealthInformation Act.

It explains theobligations of a

custodian, details keyconcepts, and provides

example scenarios. You can find it on theACP website underPractice Resources >

Legislation – Provincial.

�In memory...� J. Kenneth (Ken) Penley died onApril 18, 2014 at the age of 93. Kengraduated with distinction from the U of A School of Pharmacy in 1943. In 1944, he and Prudence A. Bamlett,a fellow pharmacy student, weremarried. Ken and Prue opened theirfirst pharmacy in Calgary in 1947, andwent on to open two more there.

Ken was a proud advocate ofpharmacy. He served on numerouscommittees and was always a willingsupporter and active member of theAlberta Pharmaceutical Association(APhA). His lasting legacy is hiscontribution as co-author of TheHistory of Pharmacy in Alberta.

Ken received the Calgary RotaryIntegrity Award in 1998, the Awardof Excellence and Honorary LifeMembership from the APhA, and aCertificate of Recognition from theCanadian PharmaceuticalAssociation. In 2011, Ken wasawarded an Alberta PharmacyCentennial Award of Distinction.

Ken was progressive in respondingto his profession’s maturing ways.The good health of his patients wasalways paramount to him. He trulywas a friend to pharmacy and anadmired colleague.

� Jean Nettleton died on April 1,2014 at the age of 90 years. Jean wasone of the first female pharmacists inAlberta. Upon graduating from theFaculty of Pharmacy at the U of A in1946, she was honoured with thecoveted silver medal award. Jeanpracticed with Calgary's MedicalArts Pharmacy and Dunford Drugs(1946-1965) and was the manager ofthe Brewerton Medical Centre Apothecary where she workedfrom 1965 to 1984. Jean retiredfrom the Alberta College ofPharmacists in 1991.


Submitting your application foradditional prescribing authorization?Read these tips first to make sure youavoid some common pitfalls.

Include documentation INthe patient care record. Thenarrative is valuable toassessors, but it is NOT part

of the patient record. The sole purposeof the narrative is to guide theassessor through the actualdocumentation you provide.

As outlined in the Case Checklist,assessors are looking for care plan andmonitoring plan information in thepatient record - the actual record of care.This may be paper-based or electronic,but must be authentic. In other words, itmust be created at or near the time youprovided the care; not created for thepurpose of the application.

Document at the same timeyou provide care. Assessors arenoticing that in someapplications, documentation

appears to be done weeks, even months,after the actual event. While this alone isnot an automatic reason for an applicantto be unsuccessful, it may contribute. Ifyou did not document when the eventhappened, it’s best to find another casewhere you documented the care in atimely manner.

Take responsibility fordecisions about drug therapyproblems. Assessors note thatmany applicants identify drug

therapy problems (DTPs) andcommunicate them to the physician forthe physician to assess and decide how toproceed. Assessors are looking for you tocomplete a thorough assessment anddevelop a care plan. They are gaugingyour ability to assess the patient, developa care plan (i.e., prescribe, monitor, and

follow up), collaborate with other healthcare providers, and document youractions. Asking the physician what to doabout a DTP is not indicative ofcollaborative prescribing; making asuggestion with a strong rationale andplan for the physician to consider is.

Demonstrate all the keyactivities for pharmacistprescribing in your cases. For example, a case where a

pharmacist makes an adaptation toanother dosage form or changes themedication due to coverage issues maynot be a good demonstration ofassessment and often no care planning orfollow up is demonstrated. Assessors arelooking for the pharmacist to complete afull assessment, make a decision, andcomplete follow up.

Show that you have completeda holistic patient assessment.This means that all medicationsshould be assessed, at

minimum, for efficacy, proper dosing,and indication. For example, even if thedrug therapy problem is a lack ofmedication for preventing shingles,assessors expect that you will review allof the patient’s medications at the time ofassessment. If this is not shown, andassessors note other potential problems,then they may be left to wonder whetheryou identified the issue or not, and if orwhen you plan to address it.

In your follow up plans,document who will beresponsible for completing thefollow up. In many instances,

this will be a combination of you and thephysician, and/or others, such as nurses.Do not imply; state the informationdirectly in the care plan.

Complete and document someof the follow up beforesubmitting your application.Many applicants have included

a monitoring plan, but submitted theirapplication before the plan is carried out.As outlined in the Case Checklist,assessors will be looking in yourdocumentation for implementation of thefollow up. This may mean delaying yourapplication submission, but will increaseyour chances of success.

Resources

The Additional Prescribing AuthorizationInformation link in the Bulletin Boardsection of the ACP website, will take youto the following resources:

n Guide to Receiving AdditionalPrescribing Authorization

n Additional prescribing authorizationFAQs

n Self-assessment form

n Application form

n Case narrative form

n Case checklist

n List of key activities and indicators

n Fee information

7 tips for additional prescribing authorization applications

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Applicationreminder

When applying for additionalprescribing authorization,

don't forget to include two copies of your entire

application package.

Ordering a lab test can be part ofconsidering appropriate information for apatient. However, keep in mind thatstandards and legislation limit whichtests pharmacists may order.

Pharmacists must only order lab tests ifindicated to assist in the management ofdrug therapy for a patient.

Pharmacists may not order:

Any form of ionizing or non-ionizing radiation; these arerestricted activities. In other

words, pharmacists may not order x-rays,ultrasounds, or MRIs.1

Any test which is beyond theirpersonal competency to orderor interpret.2

Any test for which they arenot prepared to takeappropriate action on if the

results of the test are outside the normalor expected range.2

Any test that is alreadyavailable from anothersource.2

Any test for patients withwhom they haven’tdeveloped a professional

relationship.2

Want to know more aboutordering lab tests?

These sources outline the process,requirements, and best practices.

n Guidelines for pharmacists orderinglaboratory tests and usinglaboratory data

n Standard 3, Standards of Practice forPharmacists and PharmacyTechnicians

n Ordering lab tests informationpage on the ACP website


Which 5 lab tests can't apharmacist order?

CompetenceProgram updatesgetting excitingProgramming and proofreading areunderway for the web-based modulesand online orientation program that willmake up the new ACP CompetenceProgram. The interactive and easy-to-usemodules are designed to help individualsidentify learning needs, create plans tofill any knowledge gaps, and record andreflect on their learning.

All of the materials and processes aim tomake learning a seamless and continuouspart of practice, and accommodatelearning in all settings and stages of yourcareer.

Watch The Link for more details as weget ready to roll the program out laterthis summer.

Start saving now! Current CPD log records will beunavailable after Feb. 1, 2015The CPD log functionality of the currentcompetence system will bedecommissioned on Feb 1, 2015. Thismeans that any records you have storedon your log will not be accessible afterthat date. Please print or otherwise saveanything that you would like to preservebefore Feb. 1, 2015.

1

2

3

4

5

1. Schedule 7.1, Government Organization Act2. Standard 3, Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

Canadian Publication Agreement Number: 40008642

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Alberta College of Pharmacists1100 - 8215 112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C8news


ACP emails and newsletters are official methods of notification to pharmacists andpharmacy technicians licensed by the college. In addition to providing you with timelyinformation that could affect your practice, college emails serve in administrativehearings as proof of notification. Make sure you get the information you need topractice legally and safely by reading college newsletters and ensuring ACP emails arenot blocked by your system.!

An online jurisprudence learning moduleis now available to all registrants throughthe ACP website. This resource wasdeveloped to support all pharmacyprofessionals with reviewing thelegislation and standards that governpharmacy practice in Alberta. You shouldaccess this module if you are a:

n Pharmacy professional whowould like to review the Standardsof Practice for Pharmacists andPharmacy Technicians;

n Pharmacist or pharmacy technicianwho would like to find answers tofrequently asked questions or wouldlike to test your jurisprudenceknowledge;

n Pharmacy licensee, and are thereforeresponsible for your pharmacy andstaff complying with the standards; or

n Intern, provisional pharmacytechnician, or pharmacy student whois preparing for the ethics andjurisprudence exam and/or pharmacypractice in Alberta.

This interactive module is available onthe ACP website under Registration andLicensure>Ethics and Jurisprudence exam.

We invite you to take a look, review achapter, or complete the entire module.Whatever your learning needs are, wehope you enjoy and take advantage ofthis resource. If you’ve had a chance toreview the module, we would love to getyour feedback; a feedback form isavailable in the module.

Jurisprudence learning module now online

ACPNews MayJun2014.qxp ACPNews · PINNACLE CATEGORY RECIPIENTS Jeff Schlotter, Rexall Long Term...

Documents

Transcript of ACPNews MayJun2014.qxp ACPNews · PINNACLE CATEGORY RECIPIENTS Jeff Schlotter, Rexall Long Term...