Acquiring an existing pharmacy in Ontario is equivalent to opening a new pharmacy and requires issuance of a new Certificate of Accreditation. To be accredited, the applicant(s) and the new pharmacy 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 new pharmacy and includes:
- Application for Certificate of Accreditation as a Community Pharmacy
- Application fee
- A Director of a Corporation Declaration of Good Character for every pharmacist director of the operating corporation
- A pharmacy self-assessment
- A copy of the articles of incorporation for the operating corporation (only required if the corporation has never operated a pharmacy in Ontario)
- A copy of the share certificates issued for the operating corporation (only required if the corporation has never operated a pharmacy in Ontario)
- A pharmacy floor plan for OCP approval labelled with the following details:
- Total square footage of area to be accredited – if the pharmacy is part of a larger area, include the larger area in your floor plan and clearly delineate the pharmacy portion. Identify how the accredited area is kept secure/physically separate from the non-accredited area
- Total square footage of dispensary (area behind the counter)
- Location of required two sinks in the dispensary (if the pharmacy does Level B or C compounding you must also show the additional sink in the compounding room)
- Location of acoustically private consultation room or area
- Location of compounding area(s) and C-PEC (hood) if any – if the pharmacy will not be providing compounding services, please indicate “no compounding” on the floor plan
Applications may be submitted by email to [email protected], faxed to 416-847-8399 or mailed to the College 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 regulation under the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, 1990, 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 a pharmacy’s proposed date of opening is subject to change.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure all paperwork required by Ontario Drug Benefits has been filed. ODB is not open on weekends. All transactions must occur on a weekday.
Step 2: Initial Assessment
A community operations advisor will review your application and conduct an initial assessment. The initial assessment may be conducted in-person or remotely. Details of the assessment criteria can be found in the Community Pharmacy Accreditation Assessment Criteria.
Step 3: Application Approval
Issuance of a Certificate of Accreditation is subject to the approval of the application, and a satisfactory assessment of the pharmacy. Once the requirements are met, the College will notify Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) confirming the transaction, the new pharmacy’s accreditation number, owner information, and the proposed opening date.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure all paperwork required by Ontario Drug Benefits (ODB) has been filed. ODB is not open on weekends. All new openings must occur on a weekday.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The purchase of a pharmacy has an impact on existing access to provincial clinical viewers like ConnectingOntario and ClinicalConnect. If you have purchased a pharmacy that you are aware has existing access to a clinical viewer, you are required to communicate this change in accreditation number to minimize service disruption and ensure legal agreements are updated if applicable. For changes to ConnectingOntario, please email [email protected] or call the Ontario Health Service Desk at 1-866-250-1554; for changes to ClinicalConnect, please email [email protected] or call 905-577-8270 ext. 1.
If your pharmacy does not yet have access to a clinical viewer, please visit the ConnectingOntario ClinicalViewer webpage for more information. Scroll to the “Let’s determine the clinical viewer available in your region” section and enter your pharmacy’s postal code to obtain additional instructions for applying for access to the appropriate clinical viewer in your region.
Step 4: Opening Day
On opening day, the College will contact the Director Liaison or the Designated Manager of the pharmacy to confirm that the acquisition is complete and the new pharmacy is open to the public.
Once confirmed, the pharmacy will be activated and have a profile on the College’s Find a Pharmacy or Pharmacy Professional tool. A Certificate of Accreditation will be sent by email to the Designated Manager of the pharmacy. Display of the certificate in the pharmacy is optional.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The College will not activate the new pharmacy and the new pharmacy will not be permitted to bill third parties without confirmation.
Step 5: The Callback Assessment
A community operations advisor will conduct a follow up assessment of the 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 [email protected] or call 416-962-4861 ext. 3600.