- Honouring National Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day
- Continuing Competency Matters
- 2026 National Incident Data Repository for Community Pharmacies National Snapshot
- Consultation on a New Virtual Care Practice Direction and Changes to the Prescribing Practice Direction Reminder
- CPhM Office Closure Notice
- Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events
Honouring National Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day
June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the histories, traditions, languages, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples across Canada. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing impacts of colonialism and systemic inequities that continue to affect Indigenous communities today, especially within the healthcare system.
Additionally, on June 21, we honour National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day to celebrate the resilience, diversity, and strength of Indigenous Peoples and communities. This day encourages all people living in Canada to deepen their understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and ways of understanding while reaffirming our shared commitment to respectful relationships towards truth, reconciliation, and justice.
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) acknowledges the ongoing health inequalities and social injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples. Pharmacy professionals have an important role in fostering culturally safe, trauma-informed, and inclusive care environments. Reconciliation in pharmacy practice is an ongoing journey that requires continuous learning, reflection, and action.
CPhM is committed to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, particularly those related to health (Calls 18–24), and to advancing cultural safety and humility within pharmacy practice and regulation.
Actions Pharmacy Professionals Can Take:
- Educate Yourself: Learn about the history of Indigenous Peoples, the impact of colonial policies, and current health outcomes.
- Practice Cultural Humility: Approach patient care with openness, respect, and a commitment to understanding diverse perspectives.
- Support Indigenous-Led Initiatives: Build partnerships rooted in mutual respect and collaboration.
- Identify and Address Barriers: Actively work to remove systemic obstacles that hinder access to care for Indigenous patients.
Resources for Learning and Engagement
- Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (IPPC): https://www.indigenouspharmacy.ca/
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action (Health – Calls 18–24): nctr.ca
- Government of Canada: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/
- Canadian Pharmacists Association: https://www.pharmacists.ca/news-events/news/june-is-national-indigenous-history-month/?lang=en&utm_source=Insights_17June26&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RR&utm_content=indigenous
- Ontario College of Pharmacists has resource list for pharmacy professionals: https://ocpinfo.com/pharmacy-professionals/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/resources-for-pharmacy-professionals-to-support-indigenous-cultural-competency/
By engaging with these resources and CPhM’s current and previous mandatory webinars, we can all contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system for Indigenous Peoples living in Manitoba.
Continuing Competency Matters
Thank you to everyone who attended the webinar regarding the potential revisions to CPhM’s Continuing Competency Program (CCP) on May 20, 2026. Additionally, thank you to those who submitted their insights on the proposed revisions via emailed letters and through the feedback survey, all of which are being considered by the Quality Assurance Committee (QA Committee). Although received feedback represents less than 5% of registered CPhM pharmacy professionals, the QA Committee is completing an analysis of the survey responses and comparing them with the insights provided via the Q&A, feedback from the two Focus Groups that ran in the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026, and discussions with the Canadian Society of Health System Pharmacists (CSHP) Manitoba Branch in May 2026. Based on this analysis, the principles outlined in the webinar and the current evidence / best practices, the QA Committee will present their finalized recommendations to CPhM Council for the Visionary CCP Framework.
The QA Committee is also considering the best method for providing feedback and responses to those who asked questions at the webinar, provided emailed submissions, answered the survey and/or participated in the Focus Groups. This consideration is complicated by the fact that only approximately 50% of the survey respondents reviewed Continuing Competency Matters prior to providing their responses in the feedback survey. Analysis confirms that responses were influenced by whether the information had been reviewed or not, with a number of respondents indicating that they were not aware of the evidence and best practices supporting the proposed changes to the CCP. As highlights of this evidence and the rationale / principles being followed by the QA Committee have been included in Continuing Competency Matters, if readership among survey respondents is low, then further information provided via Continuing Competency Matters may not be effective nor efficient. Development of a FAQ will occur once CPhM Council decisions for the final recommended Visionary CCP Framework are complete, with notification of availability via both Continuing Competency Matters and on the registrant-only webpage on the CPhM website.
2026 National Incident Data Repository for Community Pharmacies National Snapshot
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada) has recently released its latest National Incident Data Repository for Community Pharmacies (NIDR) National Snapshot, offering insights into medication incident trends across Canadian Provinces.
From January 1 to December 31, 2025, more than 27,600 incident reports were submitted by over 2,700 community pharmacies in participating provinces, a 6% increase from 2024. This rise reflects the growing culture of safety and transparency within the profession.
The most frequently reported issue in both non-harm and harm-related events was “incorrect dose/frequency”. Contributing factors included:
- Environmental, staffing, or workflow problems
- Staff education problem
- Drug name, label, packaging problem
By recognizing these contributing factors, pharmacy teams can focus on practical improvements that reduce the risk of patient harm.
This report and other resources published by ISMP Canada would not be possible without the contributions of pharmacy professionals like you. Your commitment to sharing data with the NIDR ensures that health care professionals across Canada raise awareness of potential risks, resulting in simple improvements that can reduce the chances of patient harm in community pharmacy practice.
For more information about the actions you can take to improve pharmacy practice today, visit the Safety IQ Academy Blog.
Consultation on a New Virtual Care Practice Direction and Changes to the Prescribing Practice Direction Reminder
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) is inviting feedback on a proposed new Virtual Care Practice Direction and amendments to the existing Prescribing Practice Direction. CPhM welcomes feedback from pharmacy professionals, system partners and members of the public throughout the consultation period, which closes on June 21, 2026.
To participate, please explore the detailed documents and rationale for the proposed changes on the dedicated Consultation webpage.
We encourage you to review the proposed changes and provide your feedback and comments via https://forms.office.com/r/uSCKu3ANY3 before the June 21, 2026, deadline.
CPhM Office Closure Notice
Please be advised that the CPhM office will be closed on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Regular office hours resume on Thursday, July 2, 2026, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events
2026 – 2028 Mandatory Professional Development – Effective Communication in Pharmacy Practice
Optimizing Prescription Writing: Essentials and Updates in 30 Minutes
- Click here to access the prerecorded webinar
- 1.0 CEU
University of Manitoba College of Pharmacy’s Essentials in Advanced Patient Care for Pharmacists Micro-Certificate Program
Interested pharmacists can visit the program website for detailed information and to begin the application process. For further inquiries, please email PharmacyPD@umanitoba.ca.