College of Podiatrists of Manitoba Regulation Amendment
On March 31, 2023, amendments to the Podiatrists Regulation were approved. The regulation amendments allow for podiatrists, with prescribing authority, to prescribe medications set out in Schedule A.1. The Pharmaceutical (General Matters) Regulation has also been amended to include podiatrists as designated practitioners.
For DPIN entry, pharmacy staff are to use the designation ‘F’ followed by the podiatrist’s DPIN prescriber number. Pharmacists can verify a podiatrist’s prescribing authority by checking the register on the COPOM’s website: https://www.copom.org.
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba has updated the Prescribing Authority Table to reflect the recent change in the scope of practice of podiatrists. Further information and restrictions on podiatrist prescribing can be found here.
CPhM Ozempic Guidance
As semaglutide (Ozempic ®) gains popularity for its off-label use for weight loss, demand has increased and Manitoba pharmacists may encounter requests from patients for this medication from other jurisdictions. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) posted a statement and guidance on this issue and strongly advise against writing, “re-writing,” “co-signing,” or “countersigning” prescriptions to supply drugs to patients who they do not have a doctor-patient relationship with. To view CPSM’s statement, click here.
Manitoba pharmacists are not permitted to fill prescriptions issued by a US physician. They can only fill prescriptions written by a physician that is licensed in a province or territory of Canada. The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) takes the position that it may be contrary to professional standards for a pharmacist to fill prescriptions written by a physician, licensed in a province or territory of Canada, who has not established an acceptable patient-physician relationship with the patient receiving the prescription. Pharmacists are reminded they must follow safe dispensing practices to ensure patient safety.
Pharmacists are encouraged to review section 83 (i) of the Pharmaceutical Regulation on ensuring patient safety and The Code of Ethics – Statement VII, which states that pharmacists shall hold the health and safety of each patient to be of primary consideration. Pharmacists are required to practice and comply with all applicable legislation, standards of practice, practice directions and code of ethics and should not knowingly enter into arrangements or accept care provided by prescribers outside of the established standards of practice of their respective regulatory body.
Please refer to the Virtual Care and Ensuring Patient Safety in Pharmacy Practice Position Statement regarding expected standards of care when providing care to patients who have not physically attended the pharmacy.
Demystifying Quality Improvement: Practical Resources for Busy Pharmacy Professionals
Continuous quality improvement (CQI) is an essential part of pharmacy care that supports professionals to achieve safer systems. Yet many of the key concepts of CQI are hard to understand or are buried in lengthy manuals or lectures. This is where the resources developed by PharmD students and led by Dr. Certina Ho from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto can help.
Check out their guest blog post on Safety IQ Academy to learn more about bitesize CQI resources to support your pharmacy team: https://safetyiq.academy/keeping-up-with-quality-improvement-qi-for-healthcare-professionals-bite-sized-resources-and-communities-for-collaboration/improvement-plans/.
Pharmacy Professional Feedback Requested: Understanding Inducements in Community Pharmacy Survey
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) wants to understand what types of inducements are offered in exchange for prescription drugs and/or pharmacy services in Manitoba. The following short survey about inducements will support strategic priority three of CPhM’s 2021-24 Strategic Plan: Promote safety in pharmacy services and ethical practice.
To achieve this strategic priority, CPhM is
- raising patient awareness about the risks of prescription inducement programs, and
- working toward eliminating inducements on prescription drugs.
Inducements include gifts, points, rebates, coupons, goods, or other rewards.
The survey contains six questions and will take about 5 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed from the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GCTTGLS
The survey will close on April 30, 2023. The results of this survey will be used to inform the implementation of strategic priority three.
2023 CPhM AGM Registration and Annual Report Now Available
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) will hold its 145th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The AGM is a virtual event and will be held by webinar. You must register in advance in order to attend.
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4616801840085/WN_2rFYuf37QdKE6paALH_Sfg
For more information visit the CPhM website: https://cphm.ca/event/annual-general-meeting-and-awards-presentation-2023/
Upcoming Events & Professional Development Opportunities
Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians (CAPT) National Professional Development Conference
Accreditation pending
June 23 to 25, 2023
For information on the conference program and to register click here.
Opioid Agonist Therapy 101 Introduction to Clinical Practice
October 26 and 27, 2023
Click here to register and for more information.