Changes to the Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety (AIMS) Program
Page updated September 23, 2025
At the Board meeting on September 16, 2025, the Board approved a public consultation on proposed amendments to the supplemental Standard of Practice: Mandatory Standardized Medication Safety Program in Ontario Pharmacies which include the following changes:
- Aligning the AIMS Program with the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) Model Standards of Practice for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Medication Incident Reporting (MIR) by Pharmacy Professionals by adapting the standards – customizing them to the specific needs and requirements of Ontario pharmacies.
- Updating the requirements of the program in three ways:
- Mandatory unique logins for registered pharmacy staff at their primary place of practice (with the exception of relief or occasional staff)
- Completion of a safety self-assessment (SSA) at least once every 2 years
- Continuous quality improvement meetings at least once every quarter
The Board had previously made a decision at their June 9, 2025, meeting to give pharmacies the flexibility and autonomy to select their own medication incident reporting platform, provided it has the functionality to contribute to the National Incident Data Repository (NIDR) for Community Pharmacies and meets criteria outlined by the College. Pharmacies will be responsible for covering the costs of their chosen reporting platform, while the College will cover the cost to submit data to the NIDR.
Rationale for Changes to the AIMS Program
AIMS is a mandatory medication safety program that helps reduce the risk of patient harm caused by medication incidents in, or involving, Ontario pharmacies.
In 2024, an evaluation found that engagement with the AIMS Program has remained consistently low, partly due to limited access to reporting by registered pharmacy staff. The evaluation also found that infrequent completion of the pharmacy safety self-assessment and an undefined frequency of continuous quality improvement (CQI) meetings have hindered the full integration of the AIMS Program in pharmacy practice.
The proposed changes are informed by national best practices and alignment with NAPRA’s Model Standards of Practice for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Medication Incident Reporting (MIR) by Pharmacy Professionals, and are intended to improve engagement with the AIMS Program, strengthen patient safety, and support the development of a strong safety culture in community pharmacies.
The evolution of the AIMS Program, along with the development of medication safety programs in other provinces, demonstrates the value placed on tracking and analyzing medication safety data in the public interest. It emphasizes the important role of pharmacies, regulators and other groups in collecting and sharing data across the country to identify risks, improve safety, and prevent future events.
What’s Next
Before final updates are made to the supplemental Standard of Practice outlining the AIMS Program requirements, and before adapting NAPRA Model Standards of Practice CQI and MIR by Pharmacy Professionals, a 60-day public consultation will take place from September 25 to November 23, 2025, to give registrants, members of the public and system partners the opportunity to share their feedback.
An implementation plan has been developed, including a transition period to ensure pharmacies have sufficient time to select and implement a medication incident reporting platform that best meets their needs. Full implementation will be required by January 1, 2027.
Further details will be shared in e-Connect and on this web page.
Please email any questions about the AIMS Program changes to aims@ocpinfo.com.
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