Opening a Hospital Pharmacy

A hospital pharmacy is defined as any location where drugs are stored, compounded, dispensed, supplied from or supplied for hospital patients (by a hospital, in premises located in a hospital, whether inpatient or outpatient).

A hospital pharmacy must be accredited by the Ontario College of Pharmacists when the following two requirements are met:

To apply for a hospital pharmacy certificate of accreditation, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Submit an Application for a Certificate of Accreditation as a Hospital Pharmacy

A complete application must be submitted to the College at least 6 months prior to the proposed opening date of the new hospital pharmacy and include:

  1. Application for Certificate of Accreditation as a Hospital Pharmacy
  2. Application fee
  3. A copy of the articles of incorporation for the operating corporation (only required if the corporation has never operated a hospital pharmacy in Ontario)
  4. A corporation profile report for the operating corporation printed within the past 30 days.

Applications may be submitted by email to pharmacyapplications@ocpinfo.com, faxed to 416-847-8399 or mailed to the Ontario College of Pharmacists to the attention of Pharmacy Applications & Renewals at 483 Huron St, Toronto, ON M5R 2R4.

Step 2: Scheduling a New Opening Assessment

Once an application has been processed, a Hospital Operations Advisor will connect with the Hospital’s Designated Contact to determine if the services provided by the hospital pharmacy require an assessment prior to the proposed opening date. For new hospital pharmacies offering sterile compounding services (hazardous and/or non-hazardous), an onsite pre-opening assessment is required.

Step 3: The New Opening Assessment

Prior to the College assessment, it is recommended that the hospital designated contact review and become familiar with the assessment criteria. An interdisciplinary team engaged in medication management should conduct a self-assessment using the relevant documents listed below:

  1. Operational assessment criteria for Hospital Pharmacies
  2. Non-sterile compounding assessment criteria
  3. Hazardous sterile preparation assessment criteria
  4. Non-hazardous sterile preparation assessment criteria

For more information on the assessment process, please review the Pharmacy Operational Assessment Process webpage.

Once a Hospital Operations Advisor has completed their assessment and is satisfied that the operation is safe and the public is protected, the hospital pharmacy can then be activated and have a profile on the College’s Find a Pharmacy or Pharmacy Professional tool.

Step 4: The Routine Assessment

A Hospital Operations Advisor will conduct a routine assessment of the hospital pharmacy 6 – 12 months following the opening to ensure that the operation is safe and the public is protected.

If you have any questions about the accreditation process, send an email to pharmacyapplications@ocpinfo.com or call 416-962-4861 ext. 3600

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