Council Report, September 1999
Council endorsed a communication to the Ministry of Health setting out what services would be considered to be day-to-day activities in pharmacy practice. The expected services are linked to Standards of Practice and the College’s quality assurance program, where during the assessment of candidates, much importance is placed on a solid clinical knowledge base, and effective and appropriate communication with the patient. In approaching the issue of expected activities, three basic questions were posed:
1. Could harm come to the patient if the activity is not performed or if a question is not asked of the patient?
2. If the answer to 1) is yes, would it change the outcome (i.e. would the result be that the prescription would not be filled as written?)
3. Is the activity one which pharmacists are expected to perform at all times? The following expectations were identified.
Gathering Information
- All pharmacists are expected to assess a prescription and, subject to available information, determine appropriate dosage, drug quantity and directions for use in order to protect public safety respecting drug therapy.
- All pharmacists, before making a decision to fill a prescription or recommend a product, should ask their patients a general question about medications that they are currently taking or consult the patient medication profiles as appropriate.
- All pharmacists should elicit the patient’s understanding of their present medications.
- All pharmacists should ask about known allergies.
- All pharmacists should respond to a patient’s questions or concerns about their therapy.
Options in Patient Management
- All pharmacists are expected to provide or offer to provide patient education respecting the purpose of the product(s); dosing (what to take, when to take it, how to take it, etc.); potential side effects or adverse drug reactions; and, where pertinent, the expected time frame for treatment.
- All pharmacists are expected to recommend that a patient consult another health care professional where deemed appropriate (i.e. patient is not responding to therapy or pharmacist feels problem is serious enough to warrant referral or consultation).
Implementation and Follow Up
All pharmacists are expected to offer to follow up with the patient when appropriate. In this regard, the amount of information readily available to the pharmacist would determine the College’s expectations.
This constitutes what we would expect to be included in a pharmacist’s day-to-day activities. Examples of matters that may be considered over and above these activities include (but are not limited to): appointments with patients for specific purposes (i.e. a special care plan); custom, sterile or special compounding; and specialized research.
A letter containing the above narrative has been sent to Mary Catherine Lindberg, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Services Division, Ministry of Health, with a copy to Barbara Stuart, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Pharmacists’ Association (OPA), as a resource in ongoing discussions between the Ministry and the OPA.
