The Practice Assessment is one component of the College’s Quality Assurance Program.
All components of the Quality Assurance Program work together to support the delivery of safe, quality care.
All Part A pharmacists and Part A pharmacy technicians are expected to:
- Complete a practice assessment when selected
- Respond promptly to emails regarding assessments
- Meet the documentation requirements ahead of the assessment
- Communicate respectfully with OCP staff and maintain professionalism at all times
Failure to meet these expectations may result in you being unprepared for a practice assessment, unable to meet key performance indicators, or referred to the Quality Assurance Committee.
About the Practice Assessment
- Focuses on the processes used to deliver patient care in a registrant’s place of practice through feedback and discussion with a College practice advisor
- Increases adherence to practice standards, helps pharmacy professionals use their full scope and supports optimal health outcomes by supporting and educating the registrant
- Separate and distinct from the pharmacy assessment and the Knowledge Assessment
For more information about the assessment process, please review the FAQs below. For a visual overview of the full practice assessment process, review the Practice and Peer Assessment Model diagram.
For specific assessment criteria and documentation requirements, please select the applicable place of practice:
- Pharmacist working in community pharmacy
- Pharmacist working in hospital or other healthcare facility
- Pharmacy technician working in any setting
Designated Practice Assessment Site
Part A pharmacists and Part A pharmacy technicians must identify a practice site in Ontario where they provide patient care and where the practice assessment takes place. This is their Designated Practice Assessment (DPA) site. The DPA site may be the same as, or different from, their primary place of practice. If there are multiple practice sites, they can select the location they prefer as their DPA site and can change that at any time in their online profile.
DPA sites must always be up to date as the College depends on the accuracy of this information to schedule practice assessments.
Please note that while initial practice assessments are conducted remotely using video conferencing, registrants must be at their DPA site for the assessment.
Practice Assessment Selection Criteria
As of October 1, 2024, the College has the authority to select Part A registrants to participate in the Quality Assurance Program based on risk rather than random selection. This allows the Quality Assurance Program to focus on risk-based, right-touch selection criteria. Risk factors may include the registrant’s workplace environment, the type of services provided, past conduct, previous Quality Assurance Program outcomes, and the time elapsed since their last Quality Assurance Program activity.
Beginning January 1, 2025, Part A pharmacists will be selected for a practice assessment if:
- Eight or more years have passed since their last practice assessment, or
- They have never completed a practice assessment