Process to Move from Part B to Part A
Part B registrants (do not provide patient care) wishing to move to Part A of the Register (provide patient care) must first notify OCP of their wish to do so by emailing RegPrograms@ocpinfo.com. You must complete all requirements to move to Part A of the Register within 12 months of expressing your intent to do so.
Pharmacists
To move to Part A of the Register, Part B pharmacists must successfully complete the following two requirements:
- Knowledge Assessment with a remote proctor, and
- Practice Assessment
You must complete both the Knowledge Assessment and the Practice Assessment within 12 months of notifying OCP of your intention to move to Part A.
Knowledge Assessment
- The Knowledge Assessment is a standardized, multiple choice assessment completed online with a remote proctor.
- The Knowledge Assessment assesses pharmacists’ ability to apply clinical knowledge as well as current legislation, ethics and scope of practice to patient care scenarios.
- You will receive a link to schedule your online, proctored (supervised) Knowledge Assessment at your convenience.
- Review our website for tips on preparing for the Knowledge Assessment.
- There is no fee for the Knowledge Assessment, unless you require more than two attempts for successful completion (see “General Questions” below).
Practice Assessment
There are three options to meet the practice assessment requirement. You must successfully complete one of these options. Review the three options listed below and notify OCP in writing at RegPrograms@ocpinfo.com of your choice.
Option 1: Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) at an assessor’s practice site
- PACE assesses a candidate’s readiness to safely and independently practise as a pharmacist performing the authorized acts of the profession. Note that PACE is an assessment only, not a training program.
- PACE includes a one-week orientation (35 hours) to the PACE site followed by a 70-hour assessment over 2 or 3 weeks depending on the PACE assessor’s schedule.
- OCP staff will assign a PACE assessor and a PACE assessment site based on your preferred geographic location and on assessor availability. You must have no prior relationship with the PACE site or assessor.
- There is a fee for PACE. Please see line 22 of the Schedule of Fees.
- You must complete your PACE during your practice preparation period as a Part B registrant. More information is found in the “Preparing for the Practice Assessment” section below.
Option 2: Practice Assessment by a College practice advisor at a practice site of your choice
- The aim of the practice assessment is to understand how you optimize your patient’s care. It is a peer-to-peer evaluation of an individual registrant’s performance, relative to the standards of practice and scope of the profession.
- You will need to demonstrate your ability to meet Standards of Practice during your practice assessment. You should discuss with your supervisor(s) how and when you can gain experience and become confident in the scopes of practice you plan to use as a Part A registrant upon successful completion of the practice assessment.
- Your practice assessment will involve reviewing patient care examples that are gathered in advance of the assessment, as well as those obtained in real-time during your assessment.
- There is a fee for the practice assessment by a College practice advisor. Please see line 22 of the Schedule of Fees.
- You must complete your practice assessment during your practice preparation period as a Part B registrant. More information is found in the “Preparing for the Practice Assessment” section below.
Option 3: Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s Objective Structured Clinical Exam for Pharmacists (OSCE)
- The Pharmacist OSCE is offered twice a year, in May and November, in multiple cities across Canada.
- To register for the OSCE, please request the PEBC Non-Certification Qualifying Exam Application form from the College and submit it to the PEBC.
- There is a fee for the OSCE. Please see the PEBC website for fee details.
Preparing for the Practice Assessment
For the purpose of preparing for your assessment, Part B pharmacists may perform the controlled acts in a pharmacy under the direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist for up to two consecutive six-month periods. A longer practice preparation period will require the approval of the Registration Committee. Please note that registrants selecting a practice assessment by a College practice advisor (option 2 above) are expected to be performing the controlled acts to prepare for and gather patient care examples for their assessment. This approach is also strongly recommended for those selecting PACE (option 1 above) to prepare for their assessment.
To practise performing the controlled acts in a pharmacy before attempting your practice assessment, you must:
- Complete and submit this application form to notify OCP in writing of the name and address of your intended practice site, the supervising Part A pharmacist(s) who will directly supervise your practice (i.e., must be physically present), and the anticipated start date for your practice preparation. Your practice preparation period can last up to six months. You may request another six months to practise without Registration Committee approval. An extension beyond 12 months requires Registration Committee approval.
- NOTE: At all times, the Part B registrant must be supervised by a Part A registrant listed on the form. A Part A registrant listed on the form must also be present for the practice assessment by a college practice advisor (option 2 above).
- Obtain personal professional liability insurance and, if you are volunteering your time, the required personal accident insurance (sometimes called accidental death and dismemberment or AD&D insurance). Pharmacy managers/owners or PACE assessors may require this personal accident insurance before allowing you to volunteer or be assessed in their pharmacy. Liability insurance providers or other insurance carriers may offer this additional type of insurance. OCP does not endorse or recommend any insurance carrier.
- Practice under direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist, in accordance with the Supervision Policy. The Part B registrant should observe the Part A pharmacist in practice and transition to providing patient care under supervision as appropriate based on their level of competence. The degree of oversight of the Part B registrant’s practice may be adjusted based on their demonstration of competence.
Pharmacy Technicians
To move to Part A of the Register, Part B pharmacy technicians must successfully complete the following requirement:
- Practice Assessment
You must complete the practice assessment within 12 months of notifying OCP of your intention to move to Part A.
Practice Assessment
There are three options to meet the practice assessment requirement. You must successfully complete one of these options. Review the three options listed below and notify OCP in writing at RegPrograms@ocpinfo.com of your choice.
Option 1: Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) at an assessor’s practice site
- PACE assesses a candidate’s readiness to safely and independently practise as a pharmacy technician performing the authorized acts of the profession. Note that PACE is an assessment only, not a training program.
- PACE includes a one-week orientation (35 hours) to the PACE site followed by a 70-hour assessment over 2 or 3 weeks depending on the PACE assessor’s schedule.
- OCP staff will assign a PACE assessor and a PACE assessment site based on your preferred geographic location and on assessor availability. You must have no prior relationship with the PACE assessor or site.
- There is a fee for PACE. Please see line 22 of the Schedule of Fees.
- You must complete your PACE during your practice preparation period as a Part B registrant. More information is found in the “Preparing for the Practice Assessment” section below.
Option 2: Practice Assessment by a College practice advisor at a practice site of your choice
- The aim of the practice assessment is to understand how you make decisions to support the delivery of safe, quality care. It is a peer-to-peer evaluation of an individual pharmacy technician’s performance, relative to the standards of practice and scope of the profession.
- You will need to demonstrate your ability to meet Standards of Practice during your practice assessment. You should discuss with your supervisor(s) how and when you can gain experience and become confident in the scope of practice you plan to use as a Part A registrant upon successful completion of the practice assessment.
- Prior to your practice assessment, you will need to gather several examples of your engagement in patient care at your practice site. Visit our Practice Assessment webpage for more details including the types of patient care examples to have available.
- There is a fee for the practice assessment by a College practice advisor. Please see line 22 of the Schedule of Fees.
- You must complete your practice assessment during your practice preparation period as a Part B registrant. More information is found in the “Preparing for the Practice Assessment” section below.
Option 3: Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s Objective Structured Performance Examination (OSPE)
- The Pharmacy Technician OSPE is offered twice a year, in April and September, in multiple cities across Canada. Information is available on the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s website.
- To register for the OSPE, please request the PEBC Non-Certification Qualifying Exam Application form from the College and submit it to the PEBC.
- There is a fee for the OSPE. Please see the PEBC website for fee details.
Preparing for the Practice Assessment
For the purpose of preparing for your assessment, Part B pharmacy technicians may work and perform the controlled acts in a pharmacy under the direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist or a Part A pharmacy technician for up to two consecutive six-month periods. A longer practice preparation period will require the approval of the Registration Committee. Please note that registrants selecting the practice assessment by a College practice advisor (option 2 above) are expected to be performing the controlled acts to prepare for and gather patient care examples for their assessment. This approach is also strongly recommended for those selecting PACE (option 1 above) to prepare for their assessment.
To practise performing the controlled acts in a pharmacy before attempting your practice assessment, you must:
- Complete and submit this application form to notify OCP in writing of the name and address of your intended practice site, the name of the Part A pharmacist(s) or Part A pharmacy technician(s) who will directly supervise your practice (i.e., must be physically present), and the anticipated start date for your practice preparation. Your practice preparation period can last up to six months. You may request another six months to practise without Registration Committee approval. An extension beyond 12 months requires Registration Committee approval.
- NOTE: At all times, the Part B registrant must be supervised by a Part A registrant(s) listed on the form. A Part A registrant listed on the form must also be present for the practice assessment by a College practice advisor (option 2 above).
- Obtain personal professional liability insurance and, if you are volunteering your time, the required personal accident insurance (sometimes called accidental death and dismemberment or AD&D insurance). Pharmacy managers/owners or PACE assessors may require this personal accident insurance before allowing you to volunteer or be assessed in their pharmacy. Liability insurance providers or other insurance carriers may offer this additional type of insurance. OCP does not endorse or recommend any insurance carrier.
- Practice under direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist or Part A pharmacy technician, in accordance with the Supervision Policy. The Part B registrant should observe the Part A registrant in practice and transition to providing care under supervision as appropriate based on their level of competence. The degree of oversight of the Part B registrant’s practice may be adjusted based on their demonstration of competence.
General Questions
How Do I Prepare for my Practice Assessment to Move to Part A?
Once you have completed and submitted the application form to notify OCP that you wish to move to Part A, you may perform the controlled acts in a pharmacy under direct supervision (i.e., supervisor is physically present) of the Part A pharmacist(s) or Part A pharmacy technician(s) (for Part B pharmacy technicians only) listed on the form. Initially, you should observe the Part A registrant(s) in practice and then transition to providing patient care under supervision as appropriate based on your level of competence. NOTE: At all times, the Part B registrant must be supervised by a Part A registrant listed on the form. A Part A registrant listed on the form must also be present for the practice assessment by a college practice advisor.
What if I am Unsuccessful on the Knowledge Assessment (pharmacists only)?
If you are unsuccessful on the Knowledge Assessment, you may repeat the assessment. Please note there is no cost for the first two attempts. If you are unsuccessful after the second attempt, a cost applies to all future attempts.
Please contact Quality Assurance staff at QA@ocpinfo.com with questions about the Knowledge Assessment.
What if I am Unsuccessful on the Practice Assessment?
If you are unsuccessful on the practice assessment, you may repeat the assessment. You are responsible for your own remediation when preparing for your second attempt. You will be charged a cost recovery fee (see line 22 of the Schedule of Fees) for each practice assessment attempt (i.e., PACE or practice assessment by a College practice advisor).
College Contact: RegPrograms@ocpinfo.com
FAQs for Supervising Pharmacy Professionals:
I have been asked to be a supervisor for a Part B registrant who is in the process of moving to Part A, what does this entail?
Registrants wishing to move from Part B to Part A of the register must successfully complete a practice assessment. The options for their practice assessment include:
- Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) at an assessor’s practice site, or
- Practice Assessment by a College practice advisor at a practice site of the registrant’s choice, or
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE – for Part B pharmacists) or Objective Structured Performance Examination (OSPE – for Part B pharmacy technicians)
For the purpose of preparing for their practice assessment, Part B registrants may perform the controlled acts in a pharmacy under the direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist or a Part A pharmacy technician (for Part B pharmacy technicians only) for up to two consecutive six-month periods, with approval from the Registrar. A longer practice preparation period will require the approval of the Registration Committee. Before beginning to perform the controlled acts, the Part B registrant must complete and submit this application form to notify the College in writing of the name and address of their intended practice site, the supervising Part A registrant(s) who will directly supervise their practice, and the anticipated start date for their practice preparation.
During PACE, a Part B registrant is expected to work with minimal guidance under their assessor’s supervision. During the practice assessment by a College practice advisor (if the registrant chooses that option), the registrant should demonstrate preparedness and provide patient care examples based on their experience performing the controlled acts. Therefore, it is crucial that a Part B registrant is given sufficient opportunities to perform the controlled acts under the direct supervision of their supervisor.
Which of the controlled acts of the profession can a Part B registrant perform under my supervision?
For the purpose of preparing for their chosen practice assessment, a Part B registrant (with written approval from the Registrar) may perform the listed controlled acts in a pharmacy under the direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist, or a Part A pharmacy technician (for Part B pharmacy technicians only).* All other terms, conditions, and limitations on a Part B registrant’s certificate of registration continue to apply. For example, a Part B pharmacist cannot:
- Supervise a pharmacy or the part of the pharmacy where drugs are kept
- Supervise the practice of the profession by another person
- Be a Designated Manager (DM) of a pharmacy (as defined in the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act)
*Note: Controlled acts performed for the purposes of providing a publicly funded drug or service must be in accordance with Ministry of Health policies, which may limit participation to Part A registrants. Please refer to the Ontario Public Drug Programs Executive Officer Communications for the latest updates and program requirements. Additionally, while the Part B registrant may be able to perform a controlled act, for example prescribe for the purposes of adapting or extending a prescription, they may not be able to bill for this act under the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. In the case that these acts are billed under the supervisor’s name and OCP number, there should be clear documentation on who was involved in the provision of that service.
What level of supervision is required when supervising Part B registrants?
Direct supervision (i.e., the supervisor is physically present on the premises) is required when supervising a Part B registrant, in accordance with the Supervision of Pharmacy Personnel Policy. The Part B registrant should observe the Part A registrant in practice and transition to providing patient care under supervision as appropriate based on their level of competence. The degree of oversight of the Part B registrant’s practice may be adjusted based on their demonstration of competence. The Pharmacy Connection article, Six Things to Consider when Supervising Pharmacy Practice, is an additional helpful resource in determining the level of supervision needed. The level of supervision may change over the course of a supervisory relationship. For example, the Part A supervisor may allow the Part B registrant to work more autonomously as they progress, based on the supervisor’s judgement and observations of the Part B registrant’s competence.
What is my accountability as the supervisor?
The Part B registrant and the supervisor will have shared accountability for the Part B registrant’s actions, including errors and how they learn from them. Supervision requires the exercise of professional judgment before, during, and after the professional interaction with a patient. In the case that an act (i.e., extending a prescription) is done by the Part B registrant, and billed under the supervisor’s name and OCP number, there should be clear documentation on who was involved in the provision of that service.
Part B registrants who are practising in preparation for the practice assessment are required to hold personal professional liability insurance. If they are volunteering at a site, it is also recommended that they hold AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment) insurance as they would not be covered by WSIB.
Who can be a supervisor? Is any training required?
Any Part A pharmacist or a Part A pharmacy technician (for Part B pharmacy technicians only) may be a supervisor. The Part B registrant must complete and submit this application form to notify the College in writing of the name and address of their intended practice site, the supervising Part A pharmacist(s) or Part A pharmacy technicians (for Part B pharmacy technicians only) who will directly supervise their practice, and the anticipated start date for their practice preparation. A Part B registrant may have more than one supervisor; however, all supervisors must be listed on the application form. If the Part B registrant selects the practice assessment by a College practice advisor, they will have to indicate one of their supervisors who will be physically present for this assessment.
If training and coaching pharmacy professionals is new to the supervisor, they are encouraged to complete modules 1, 3 and 6 of this preceptor training program and to review the scope of practice.