The Complaint Process
The College encourages anyone who is not satisfied with the care received from a member of the College to discuss the problem directly with the member. A member is anyone who is registered with the College; this currently includes pharmacists and pharmacy interns. Soon, registered Pharmacy Technicians will also be members of the College.
If you are not comfortable approaching the member directly about your concerns, you may be able to speak with the Designated Manager (“DM”) of the pharmacy. The DM is responsible for the operation of the pharmacy and may be able to help you.
Filing an official complaint
If you decide to file a formal complaint, you should:
- provide as much detail as possible about your concerns;
- If possible, identify the member(s)that is being complained about;
- provide the names and contact information of other health-care providers, or other persons who may have relevant information or may have been have been present when the incident occurred and
- provide your daytime telephone, email address, telephone number, and mailing address to the College
Complaints are handled in accordance with sections 25-35 of the Health Professions Procedural Code, being Schedule 2 to the Regulated Health Professions Act.
When the College receives a complaint, a file is opened and you are sent an acknowledgement letter. You may also be asked for additional details or documentation, such as prescription receipts or vials of medication and you may also be asked to sign and return to the College an Information Release Form allowing the College to speak with other health-care professionals involved in the complaint.
If it is not clear who the member is that you are complaining about, the DM will be contacted to help the College with identifying the member(s).
The member will be issued a Notice of Complaint with a copy of the complaint. The member has thirty days to provide the College with his or her written response and any pharmacy records that have been requested by the College. You will be given the member’s response for review and you can send the College any comments you have about the member’s response.
How is a complaint investigated?
A complaint is fully and impartially investigated by College staff. In order to preserve the integrity of the investigation, the College asks you, as the complainant, and the member to refrain from any communication with each other about the matter. The College expects that, you and the member will fully cooperate with the College’s investigation.
Who reviews the results of the investigation?
After the investigation is completed and all of the supporting documentation is received, a report of the investigation is reviewed by a panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (“ICRC”). The ICRC deliberates over the information it has reviewed and makes a decision about how to dispose of the complaint.
A panel of the ICRC is composed of professional members and publicly appointed members of the College .College staff are not members of the ICRC; therefore, they are not involved in ICRC’s decision-making.
What can the ICRC do?
There are a number of options available to a panel of the ICRC. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the panel can:
- Make a Referral to the Discipline Committee
A small fraction of complaints that come before the ICRC are referred to the Discipline Committee and they usually involve serious matters where the panel is of the view that the member may have been dishonest, breached trust, appears to show, a willful disregard of professional values, and or appears to be unable to practise professionally or competently. - Take no Action
This often occurs when the panel is of the view that the member’s conduct and/or actions appear to be in compliance with the Standards of Practice of the Profession, the generally accepted standard adopted by members of the profession and all other relevant laws and regulations that apply. - Issue an Oral or Written Caution to the Member
Oral Cautions require the member to attend in person before a panel of the ICRC providing the panel with an opportunity to have a “face to face” discussion with the member about its concerns about the member’s practice and to hear from the member about the changes he or she will make to avoid a similar incident from occurring in the future. - Refer to Another Panel for a Health Inquiry
Where the investigation reveals that the conduct may be caused by an illness, disorder or substance abuse, the panel may refer to another panel of the ICRC to conduct health investigations - Require the Member to Take Specified Continuing Education Remediation Program (“SCERP”)
The ICRC has the ability to require a member to take specified remedial courses. The courses would be tailored to address concerns about a member’s practice formulated by the panel after it reviewed the investigation report. - Take Other Action Not Inconsistent with the Act
Unless the matter is referred to the Discipline Committee or to another panel of the ICRC to conduct health inquiries, both parties will receive a copy of the panel’s decision and reasons for the decision.
What if I disagree with the Panel’s decision and/or reasons?
Either party has the right to appeal the decision and reasons for the decision to the Health Professions Review and Appeal Board (“HPARB”).
Is this information public?
Complaints are a confidential process. The results of an investigation remain on the member’s file but are not available to the public. The exception to this rule is when the member along with specified allegations is referred to the Discipline Committee. Information about the referral and the allegations accompanying the referral are public information and are available on the College’s register.
Hearings before a panel of the Discipline Committee are public proceedings and are open to the public. The College publishes information about upcoming hearings on its website.