News

To date, COVID-19 and influenza vaccines have been publicly funded in community pharmacies in Ontario (i.e., administration of vaccine is at no cost to patients, and no prescription is required). Prescriptions are not required if the vaccine is classified as Schedule II. NAPRA’s definition of schedule II vaccines include meeting at least one of the below criteria:   Vaccines which are part of a routine immunization program in most/all provinces and territories Vaccines requiring special enhanced…

The College’s practice advisors routinely conduct practice assessments of Part A pharmacy technicians in their Designated Practice Assessment (DPA) site. The latest Pharmacy Connection article shares the most common misconceptions advisors have encountered about the activities that pharmacy technicians can perform. For each item, we highlight what pharmacy technicians can and can’t do and share other important information to know. It is important for patient safety that pharmacy technicians know and practice within their scope of practice and the authorized acts…

Time-delayed safes and associated signage are important tools to help deter pharmacy robberies. In March 2023, the College’s Board of Directors approved the requirement for all community pharmacies to use time-delayed safes for securing narcotics. Additionally, community pharmacies are required to prominently display College-approved time-delayed safe signage at each public entrance to the pharmacy and in or adjacent to the dispensary area. This latest Practice Insight article explores the outcome of several investigations related to…

The Ontario College of Pharmacists is pleased to welcome Jay O’Neill as he officially assumes the role of OCP’s new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer. “I’m honoured to be part of a team of talented and passionate staff who are dedicated to OCP’s legislated public-interest mandate,” says Jay. “Over the coming weeks and months, I plan to connect, listen and learn from the broader OCP community and stakeholders as we look ahead to a busy…

On November 3, 2025, the Ontario government passed legislative amendments that expand “As of Right” legislation to make it easier for regulated health professionals licensed in other parts of the country to work immediately in Ontario. As of January 1, 2026, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians already licensed in another Canadian province or territory who meet the eligibility criteria can practice for up to six months while completing their registration requirements with the College. As of…

To support pharmacies in planning for upcoming changes to the AIMS Program, including the selection of a medication safety reporting platform of their choice, the College is sharing a timeline of actions that need to take place prior to implementation in January 2027. AIMS is an important program that helps keep patients safe. The consistent and mandatory standard for medication safety for all pharmacies in the province enables continuous quality improvements and shared learnings to…

We are pleased to share a new update on our progress in addressing business pressures in pharmacy in Ontario. The College’s approach to addressing business pressures incorporates elements related to regulatory programs, data collection and reporting, legislation and regulation changes, and engagement and outreach.  Read the October 2025 progress update to learn more about the continued expansion of our pilot project on operational assessments in pharmacies and the additional mechanism we are exploring to tackle…

The College’s Registration Committee has approved updates to registration policies to make it easier for applicants and registrants to understand College expectations. Key Registration Policy Updates The Language Proficiency Requirements at Registration for All Applicants Policy has been updated to include new English and French language proficiency tests and cut scores, and to incorporate a 1-year extension of the validity of acceptable language proficiency test scores. The new cut scores align with NAPRA’s Language Proficiency…

College applicants who are undergoing Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) and PACE assessors can access the PACE portal here: https://ocp.docebosaas.com/learn

Our newly designed website has arrived! This website has been built with you in mind and offers an enhanced search and navigation experience. Check out our video highlighting the key changes, and explore FAQs posted below.   Video Highlighting Key Website Changes https://youtu.be/1g97m1Ci31k How Did We Get Here? Last year, we began the website refresh by conducting research, reviewing data and hearing feedback. These activities included: Seven focus groups, with 32 total participants, including registrants,…