Jump To:Drug Shortages
Pharmacy professionals should stay informed on medication, health product and medical device issues that may affect patient safety, including recalls, shortages, adverse reactions and other safety notices.
Link to Health Canada resources regarding recalls, adverse reactions and other safety notices, including a searchable database, are available in the Additional Resources – Health Canada: Health Products section.
Information about current and upcoming drug shortages can be found at Drug Shortages Canada (www.drugshortagescanada.ca) and in memos sent directly to pharmacies from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and drug manufacturers/suppliers. For more information please visit Health Canada’s Drug Shortages in Canada webpage.
Other resources for pharmacy professionals related to drug shortages:
- Canadian Pharmacists Association – Drug Shortages: A Guide for Assessment and Patient Management
- ISMP Canada Safety Bulletin – Drug Shortages and Medication Safety Concerns
- Government of Ontario’s Ethical Framework for Resource Allocation During the Drug Supply Shortage
Required Reference Guide for Ontario Pharmacies (Pharmacy Library)
Updated September 2018
Legislative Reference: Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, Ontario Regulation 264/16
Background:
It is a standard of accreditation for a pharmacy to have available the references and resources that are required by members practicing in the pharmacy to meet the standards of practice of the profession and to support the pharmacy services the members provide.
Council has approved the use of electronic and web-based library reference materials as an alternative to hard copy texts. Regardless of the format chosen, the Designated Manager/delegate must ensure sources of information are readily accessible and freely available to the pharmacy staff working in the pharmacy.
Ontario College of Pharmacists and Regulatory Publications
Pharmacy professionals must have access to, and should be familiar with navigating, the OCP website.
Links to current legislation and OCP references are located under Regulations & Standards, including, but not limited to:
- Federal Legislation (Government of Canada’s Justice Laws website)
- Provincial Legislation (Government of Ontario’s eLaws website)
- OCP Policies and Guidelines
- By-laws
- Code of Ethics
- Standards of Practice
- Additional resources such as:
- Prescription Regulation Summary Chart (Summary of Laws)
- National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) – National Drug Schedules
- Quick Links to Ontario Public Drug Programs, MOHLTC
- Internet access to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) Ontario Drug Program e-Formulary/Comparative Drug Index
Library Requirements
To enable members to meet the standards of practice, at a minimum, every pharmacy1 should have at least one reference in each of the following areas:
- A Canadian Drug Reference / Compendium
- A Drug Interaction Publication
- A Drug Therapy Publication
- A Patient Counselling Guide
- Additional references should be selected based on the pharmacy’s patient population to support the specific services provided. For example: natural health products, pediatrics, compounding, geriatrics, etc.
The College does not recommend a particular reference in any area. It is up to the Designated Manager/delegate to research and compare the different options available and to select the appropriate references for the pharmacy.
1Note that this section does not apply to remote dispensing locations (RDLs) where all drugs are dispensed from an automated pharmacy system as the accredited pharmacy operating the RDL must have the required resources to support pharmacy services for both the accredited
pharmacy and the RDL.
Procurement
As practice is constantly evolving, it is critical that the reference is the current edition or latest version available, and is updated regularly. The selection of references should be reviewed and evaluated on a regular basis to ensure each remains relevant and suitable for its intended purpose. Textbooks may be procured from various sources, such as directly from the publisher, the bookstore of a local university, or various retail outlets including on-line booksellers. The College does not evaluate or endorse suppliers.
Quick Links to Health Canada: Drugs and Health Products
Health Products and Food Branch
- Fact Sheet: Regulating Advertising of Health Products
- Policies and Guidance Documents
- Health Product Advertising Complaints
Marketed Health Products Directorate:
hc.mhpd-dpsc.sc@canada.ca 613-954-6522
Advisories, Warnings and Recalls – See MedEffect™ Canada
Biologics, Radiopharmaceuticals and Genetic Therapies
Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate:
hc.bgtd.dgo.enquiries.sc@canada.ca
- Cannabis for medical purposes under the Cannabis Act
- Health products containing cannabis: Guidance for the Cannabis Act, the Food and Drugs Act, and related regulations
Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch (CSCB):
cannabis@canada.ca 1-866-337-7705
- Links to Clinical Trials Manual and other Guidance Documents
- Searchable Clinical Trials Database
Therapeutic Products Directorate: Office of Clinical Trials:
oct_bec_enquiries_enquetes@hc-sc.gc.ca
Therapeutic Products Directorate:
hc.tpdgeneral-generaldpt.sc@canada.ca 613-957-0368
To learn more about Health Canada’s Drug Product Database, watch this short video
Establishment Licenses (Drugs and Medical Devices)
Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate Program, Ontario: insp_onoc-coon@hc-sc.gc.ca 416-973-1600 or 1-800-267-9675
Good Manufacturing Practices (including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients)
- Guidance Documents
- Policies and Standards for Drugs and Health Products
- Questions and Answers
Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate Program, Ontario Drug Good Manufacturing Practices Unit:
gmp_questions_bpf@hc-sc.gc.ca 613-957-1492
- Guidance Documents, Fact Sheets and other publications
- Report an Adverse Reaction (Canada Vigilance Program)
- Health Product InfoWatch
- Recalls and Safety Alerts Database (includes advisories)
- Safety reviews
Marketed Health Products Directorate: MedEffect Canada Team:
hc.mhpd-dpsc.sc@canada.ca 613-946-7254
Canadian Vigilance Program Ontario Regional Office:
CanadaVigilance_ON@hc-sc.gc.ca 1-866-234-2345
- Device licensing
- Guidance Documents and Policies
- Reporting of device-related incidents: Health Product Complaint Form
Therapeutic Products Directorate: Medical Devices Bureau
MDB_Enquiries@hc-sc.gc.ca 613-957-4786
- Reporting a side effect (see MedEffect™)
- Licensed Natural Health Products Database
- Guidance Documents, Policies, and FAQs on regulatory requirements
- Compendium of monographs
Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD):
hc.nnhpd-dpsnso.sc@canada.ca 613-960-8827
Office of Controlled Substances
Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme: Office of Controlled Substances
General Inquiries: hc.ocs-bsc.sc@canada.ca 613-952-2177
Reporting of Loss and Theft of Controlled Substances and Precursor Chemicals:
hc.compliance-conformite.sc@canada.ca 613-954-1541
List of medicinal ingredients that when found in a drug, require a prescription
Public Health Agency of Canada
Disease Prevention and Control Guidelines
Health Promotion
Infectious Diseases
Public Health Notices
Travel Health
Special Access
Special Access Programme – Drugs
Frequently Asked Questions:
HC.SAPD-PASM.SC@CANADA.CA 613-941-2108
Special Access Programme – Medical Devices
hc.sap.devices.mdb.sc@canada.ca
Antimicrobial Resistance
Emergency Drug Release
Extra-Label Drug Use
Fact Sheets, Frequently Asked Questions
Maximum Residue Limits
Veterinary Drugs Directorate:
hc.vdd.vetdrugs-medsvet.dmv.sc@canada.ca 613-954-5687
Other useful links:
Quick Links to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC)
The mandate of the IPC is set out in the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), governing the responsibilities of heath information custodians in handling personal health information.
info@ipc.on.ca 416-326-3333/1-800-387-0073
General
- A Guide to PHIPA (for healthcare providers)
- Frequently Asked Questions: Personal Health Information Protection Act
- Circle of Care: Sharing Personal Health Information for Health-Care Purposes
- Dispelling Some Myths about the Personal Health Information Protection Act
- Frequently Asked Questions: Health Cards and Health Numbers
- Your Health Information and Your Privacy Brochures and Posters (for posting by healthcare providers)
Guidance Documents
- Guidelines on Facsimile Transmission Security
- Yes, You Can. Dispelling the Myths About Sharing Information with Children’s Aid Societies
- Get rid of it Securely to keep it Private: Best Practices for the Secure Destruction of Personal Health Information
- Guidelines for the Use of Video Surveillance
- Guidance for Health Information Custodians Changing Practice
Privacy Breach Information
Statistics.ipc@ipc.on.ca 416-326-3333/1-800-387-0073
- Responding to a Health Privacy Breach: Guidelines for the Health Sector
- Reporting a Breach to the Privacy Commissioner – Guidelines for the Health Sector Annual Reporting of Privacy Breach Statistics to the Commissioner – Requirements for the Health Sector
Personal Health Information
- Collecting Personal Health Information
- Use of Personal Health Information
- Disclosure of Personal Health Information
- Access and Correction of Personal Health Information
- Unauthorized Access
PHIPA Fact Sheets
- Fact Sheet – Communicating Personal Health Information by Email
- Fact Sheet – Disclosure of Personal Information to Law Enforcement
- Fact Sheet #1 – Safeguarding Personal Health Information
- Fact Sheet #7 – Disclosure of Information Permitted in Emergency or other Urgent Circumstances
- Fact Sheet #8 – Lock Box (withdrawal of consent)
- Fact Sheet #10 – Secure Destruction of Personal Health Information
- Fact Sheet #12 – Encrypting Personal Health Information on Mobile Devices
- Fact Sheet #15 – Obtaining Personal Health Information About a Deceased Relative
- Fact Sheet #16 – Health-Care Requirement for Strong Encryption
- Fact Sheet #18 – The Secure Transfer of Personal Health Information
- Technology Fact Sheet – Protecting Against Ransomware
Quick Links to Ontario Ministry of Health and Public Drug Programs
Under the Ministry of Health, Drugs and Devices Division, the Drug Programs Delivery Branch is responsible for administering Ontario’s Public Drug Programs, Assistive Devices Program (ADP), and additional programs including those listed below.
Ministry of Health Programs
- Monitored Drugs List
- List of identification
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Resources
- Narcotics Monitoring System Pharmacy Reference Manual
Professional Pharmacy Services
- Annual and Follow-up
- For Ontarians living with Diabetes
- At Home
- Fill, Print & Save Forms
- Frequently Asked Questions
Medscheck.Moh@ontario.ca
1-866-255-6701
Pharmaceutical Opinion Program
Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Program
Telehealth Ontario
1-866-797-0000
Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP)
- Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines
- For questions regarding vaccine storage and handling, vaccine ordering, or local distribution, contact your local public health unit.
uiip.moh@ontario.ca
1-877-844-1944
Ontario’s Public Drug Programs
PublicDrugPrgrms.moh@ontario.ca
Tel: 1-866-811-9893
Fax: 1-866-598-6530
Exceptional Access Program (EAP)
OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare
Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program
PublicDrugPrgrms.moh@ontario.ca
Help Desk: 1-800-668-6641
Ontario Naloxone Program for Pharmacies (ONPP)
Senior’s Co-payment Program (SCP)
- Application form (for patients)
Seniors@ontariodrugbenefit.ca
1-888-405-0405
trillium@ontariodrugbenefit.ca
1-800-575-5386
Other Publicly Funded Drug Programs
Helpful Links