Pharmacy Connection - March/April 2005

Now available to all registered Ontario pharmacists and students, the PHP is a confidential assistance program offering intervention, assessment, and monitoring to Ontario health professionals experiencing work/life stress, concerns about their mental health or substance use problems.

Ontario pharmacists and pharmacy students/interns registered with the College can now access a full range of confidential services of the Professionals Health Program (PHP). Now members can access the service directly and anonymously, at no cost. Contacting or accessing services does not require the College’s knowledge or involvement.

Expanded Services
Last year, the College entered into an arrangement with the Professionals Health Program (PHP) of the Ontario Medical Association to provide case management and advocacy for pharmacists suffering from substance use and/or mental health issues who had been referred by a College incapacity proceeding. (See article in July/August 2004 issue)
And, in an effort to increase the availability of support and advocacy services for pharmacists who may be experiencing life or work-related stress, the College has collaborated with the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association (OPA) and the PHP to bring a broader range of services to pharmacists seeking help.

With funding by both the OCP and the OPA, the PHP services are now directly available to members, without the College or the OPA’s referral, knowledge, or involvement.
The range of available services has expanded to include a call-in service, which provides advice, assessment and intervention for a wide range of life situations that might impact upon a pharmacist’s health.

Early Intervention
Focusing upon health professionals’ wellness and the benefits of early intervention, the PHP is accessible to concerned members of all classes; whether for themselves, a colleague, staff, a student/intern, or a family member, and regardless of the member’s practice setting or the availability of any other type of employee assistance program (EAP) in the workplace.

No Disclosure to the College
The PHP enables members to access help early on and is geared towards prevention — prior to escalation of the health problem. This means that, in situations of substance use problems, and guided by the PHP, the member may be referred for assessment or counselling or may enter into a focused, rehabilitation program.

The member may be able to return to practice, with ongoing monitoring and advocacy by the PHP, without any resulting regulatory consequences.
The OPA will be conducting ongoing advertising and promotion of this service to pharmacists across Ontario.

Intervening for a Colleague
The College requires its members to intervene when they either know or suspect a pharmacist colleague may be suffering from an incapacity related to either a health condition or addiction. Your intervention is necessary to both assist your colleague as well as to protect the public from unsafe practice. (See “Guidelines on Handling Colleague Pharmacists who are Incapacitated” on our website.)

Accessing the PHP— Assisting You With Your Professional Responsibility
Please note that colleagues, employers, staff and teachers may contact the PHP, in confidence, for advice regarding steps to address the situation. The PHP can reaffirm your concerns about a colleague, guide you as to how to intervene and get assistance for your colleague — all while maintaining strict privacy and non-involvement of the College.

If, however, your pharmacist colleague refuses to participate or enroll in the PHP, you, as the intervener, must take additional steps, as per the guidelines, to ensure patient safety.

The College believes that by making the PHP’s services available to all pharmacists, with the assurance of confidentiality, more pharmacists will obtain needed care and assistance, thus reducing the risk of harm to themselves and to the public.