Opening a Remote Dispensing Location

Before an accredited community pharmacy can open a remote dispensing location (RDL) to the public, it must apply for an amended certificate of accreditation to operate an RDL. The operating pharmacy and the proposed new RDL must meet all of the criteria set out in the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, 1990 and its regulations.

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

A complete application must be submitted to the College at least 45 days prior to the proposed opening date of the Remote Dispensing Location and includes:

RDL with Dispensary or Automated Pharmacy System

An RDL may be a dispensary staffed with a regulated pharmacy technician or may contain an Automated Pharmacy System (APS). If you are applying to open a new RDL containing an APS, please note that APS technology is subject to a technical assessment and Board approval. This evaluation process may take three to six months to complete.

Currently, the College Board has approved the following APS technology:

  • MedCentre

APS technology must meet the following specifications:

  • contains a reflective scanning unit for the double-sided scanning of paper-based prescriptions that has an effective image resolution of not less than 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution 8-bit grayscale
  • transmits images in lossless format encrypted with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit encryption, and employs network authentication of each machine and controlling pharmacist using robust password-based authentication

For more information, please review the checklist for Opening a Remote Dispensing Location for a Dispensary staffed by a Pharmacy Technician or with an Automated Pharmacy System (APS).

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

IMPORTANT NOTE: The College evaluates each person who is an applicant based on the criteria set out in Part III of the Regulations under the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act including an assessment to determine if past and present conduct of the proposed owner(s) affords reasonable grounds for the belief that the pharmacy will be operated with decency, honesty and integrity and in accordance with the law. The College will take whatever time is necessary to complete this assessment. Application processing time varies and your proposed date of opening is subject to change.

Step 2: Scheduling an Inspection

Once an application has been approved, a Community Operations Advisor will contact the Designated Manager of the operating pharmacy to schedule an inspection of the RDL prior to the proposed opening date. Please be advised that it may take up to two weeks to schedule an inspection.

Step 3: The Inspection

Issuance of an amended Certificate of Accreditation is subject to approval of the application and a satisfactory inspection of the RDL. For more information on the inspection process, please review the Protecting the Public section of our website.

Once a Community Operations Advisor has completed their inspection and is satisfied that the operation is safe and the public is protected, notification will be sent to Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) confirming the RDL has been accredited. The RDL will then be activated and have a profile on the College’s Find a Pharmacy or Pharmacy Professional tool.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure all paperwork required by Ontario Drug Benefits has been filed. ODB is not open on weekends. All new openings must occur on a weekday.

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