2021 marks the Ontario College of Pharmacists’ 150th anniversary. Established in 1871, for 150 years our mandate has been to put patients first and ensure pharmacy professionals provide the public with safe and effective pharmacy services and care.
The Honorable Christine Elliott, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, has extended her congratulations to the College and the profession on OCP’s 150th anniversary during Pharmacy Appreciation Month. Watch the video, shared at our March 22nd Board Meeting, below:
As well, to commemorate the College’s 150th anniversary, we have developed a short video slideshow, below:
The College is the registering and regulating body for the profession of pharmacy in Ontario with a mandate to serve and protect the public. We hold Ontario’s pharmacists and pharmacy technicians accountable to the established legislation, Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics and policies and guidelines relevant to pharmacy practice, as well as ensure that pharmacies within the province meet certain standards for operation and are accredited by the College.
Check out this infographic to learn about six key ways we serve and protect your interests. You can also learn more about our mandate, vision, mission, and the work we’re engaged in to protect patients by visiting our About the College and Protecting the Public webpages. And, OCP has developed a variety of helpful and informative patient and pharmacy professional resources to help patients get the most out of their pharmacy experience and maximize their health outcomes and to help pharmacy professionals provide better patient care.
Some of the work we’ve been engaged in includes:
- Reducing the risk of patient harm through a province-wide implementation of the College’s Assurance and Improvement Medication Safety Program
- Working on projects and infinitives to optimize pharmacy professional scope of practice
- Supporting safe opioid dispensing and management practices
- Establishing collaborative, system-focused quality indicators for pharmacy
- Strengthening our focus on public trust through governance renewal
- Committing to better serving indigenous communities
- Informing and engaging the public
- Using data to promote better quality outcomes and continuous improvement in pharmacy
- Ensuring that new pharmacy professionals are qualified to practice
- Much more!
We look forward to the next 150 years of putting patients first!