Is your pharmacy currently engaged in compounding of hazardous and/ or non-hazardous sterile preparations?

If so, we’d like to hear from you on a proposed two-year implementation timeline to allow pharmacists time to become fully compliant with NAPRA's newly approved sterile compounding standards!

The College is expected to adopt these standards at their September 2016 Council meeting. Assuming Council's approval, all pharmacies in Ontario that are engaged in compounding hazardous and/or non-hazardous sterile preparations would be required to be fully compliant with the NAPRA standards by September 2018.

Pharmacies currently engaged in sterile compounding are expected to review these new standards, identify any gaps in current practice and establish an action plan to ensure full compliance on or before the proposed timeline.

Please visit our consultation page to provide your feedback on the proposed two-year implementation timeline. Before giving your feedback, don’t forget to read the “Points to Consider” and “Common Questions” sections we’ve included on the page.

PACE, which stands for Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry, is a new program the College is piloting to measure applicants’ readiness for practice. Over the last few months, the College has been, and still is, recruiting experienced community and hospital pharmacists to become assessors for the program.

In "Leadership, Learning, and Giving Back" article in the Spring 2016 issue of Pharmacy Connection, we featured the experiences of pharmacists who volunteered to help with the initial test of the new PACE program. Here’s some of what they had to say:

Assessing a candidate was a great opportunity, and can also “open your eyes to new ways of practicing and keep you fresh.” – Kalpesh Chauhan, Shoppers Drug Mart in Brampton, Ontario.

“I learn from other pharmacists and students all the time, how they interact with patients and what methods work. That can help me improve my practice too. We want to make this profession better and it’s students who keep moving us forward” – Donnie Edwards, Boggio & Edwards IDA in Ridgeway, Ontario.

In the article we also featured some common questions about PACE.

Learn more about PACE and apply today!

Nervous? Worried about yourself or a family member?

The Ontario Pharmacy Support Program (OPSP) is a confidential service for pharmacists, students,interns, pharmacy technicians and their family members. 

The free OPSP referral line offers brief advice and support for mental health and substance use concerns. Toll-free (Ontario): 1 800 463-2338 ext. 77790 | GTA: 416 535-8501 ext. 77790.

OPSP is funded in partnership with the Ontario College of Pharmacists and the Ontario Pharmacy Association.