December 19, 2025

Friday Five (December 19, 2025)

The December 19, 2025 edition of the Friday Five is now available.

  1. Inclusive Regulation: CPRC’s Mural 
  2. Renewal Reminder 
  3. New Safety IQ Academy Blog: Understanding the Role of Safety Self-Assessment in Pharmacy Practice  
  4. Winter Newsletter Now Available 
  5. Extension to NAPRA Sterile Compounding Exemption for Palliative Care Patients  
  6. CPhM Office Schedule During the Holiday Season 
  7. Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events

Inclusive Regulation: CPRC’s Mural 

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) serves the public interest by ensuring that pharmacy care across Manitoba is safe, ethical, and culturally responsive. At the heart of this work is CPhM’s commitment to equity and inclusion that is free from all forms of racism, including Indigenous-specific racism.  

When CPhM moved into the Centre for Professional Regulatory Collaboration (CPRC), a shared vision was realized to express these commitments through the physical space where we work. The Path Forward, a wall mural, welcomes staff and visitors to the CPRC; it is a visible reminder of how regulation protects and supports all communities across Manitoba. 

The mural is more than a decorative feature; it represents the evolving nature of regulation, like Manitoba’s diverse plants and animals.  Effective regulation must grow and adapt in response to the diverse needs of Manitoba’s communities. The Path Forward symbolizes connection between people, healthcare professionals, and the land, and reminds CPRC that inclusive regulation is not static, but rather a dynamic and continuously evolving commitment. 

The Path Forward acknowledges the traditional lands on which we gather, work, and learn and reinforces that reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires reflection, dialogue, and action. By incorporating these principles into our shared space, the mural serves as a daily reminder that integrating cultural safety and humility into the core of CPhM’s regulatory and strategic work ensures that pharmacy services in Manitoba are accessible, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all who access them. 

CPhM is grateful to Synonym Art Consultation, Chloe, and artist Nadya Crossman-Serb for bringing this shared vision to life in ways words cannot describe. 

Visit https://cphm.ca/inclusive-regulation-cprcs-mural/ to view images of the Mural.

Renewal Reminder 

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) would like to remind those registrants who have not completed their pharmacy professional renewal for the 2026 Practice Year, that if you fail to renew your registration and licence or listing to practice by December 31, 2025, you will be removed from the CPhM register or listing as a result of non-payment.  You will be ineligible to practice in Manitoba in 2026 unless you reinstate your registration and licence or listing to practice.   

If you do not wish to renew your registration or listing with CPhM, please select the “Voluntary Cancel” option in the online renewal.  This will ensure that your file with CPhM is closed seamlessly, effective December 31, 2025. 

If you require clarification or have any questions, please contact registration@cphm.ca for assistance. Thank you.    

Upcoming Holiday Office Closure:  The CPhM Office will be closed from December 25th, 2025 to January 1st, 2026.  Any issues or questions that arise during the closure will be addressed in the order in which they were received when the CPhM office re-opens on January 2, 2026. 

New Safety IQ Academy Blog: Understanding the Role of Safety Self-Assessment in Pharmacy Practice  

Dive into the significance of the Safety Self-Assessment (SSA) and enhance the safety culture within pharmacies.  

The newest Safety IQ article, “Understanding the Role of Safety Self-Assessment in Pharmacy Practice,” introduces the important role SSA plays in pharmacy practice by identifying gaps in safety processes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. 

Read the full article to learn more: https://safetyiq.academy/understanding-the-role-of-safety-self-assessment-in-pharmacy-practice/safety-self-assessment/

Winter Newsletter Now Available

Discover the latest insights and developments with the release of the Winter 2025 Newsletter from the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba.    

This edition highlights a Safety IQ feature with strategies on how to strengthen team participation and improve the quality of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) meetings and a feature article recapping the first year of CPhM’s Strategic Plan, Future-Pharmacy Regulation. Click here to read: https://cphm.ca/newsletter/winter-2025-newsletter/

To stay informed on vital pharmacy topics, read the latest issue of the CPhM Newsletter. We value your input and welcome any feedback or inquiries. Please direct your comments to Communications at communications@cphm.ca.  

Extension to NAPRA Sterile Compounding Exemption for Palliative Care Patients  

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) Council has again approved an extension of the exemption for the drawing-up of comfort care medications for Palliative Care patients in a setting that does not meet the NAPRA Model Standards for Sterile Compounding. Council reviewed the Sterile Compounding Exemption for Palliative Care survey results, along with other information, to inform their decision. Thank you to all the respondents who participated in the survey.  

Council will review the exemption again prior to the new expiry date of January 1, 2028. Any pharmacy or pharmacist that is considering the utilization of this exemption must be knowledgeable and fully compliant with the following requirements:    

When deciding if the service should be provided:     

  • The patient must be registered with the palliative care program.     
  • The medications should be non-hazardous, and the manipulation be low risk (as defined by NAPRA) and prepared from a commercially available sterile source only.   
  • The preparation should be only a single manipulation (i.e., pre-filling a syringe). 
  • All possibilities of training a caregiver or family member to draw up medication should be exhausted first before contemplating this option.
  • The physician determines that this is the only viable method of effective treatment of the patient and the prescription indicates “for emergency use.”
  • The benefit vs. risk favours rapid access to the medication.     

 Once the decision has been made to provide the service:     

  • A process for obtaining informed consent must be implemented and followed. This must include a meaningful discussion with the patient/caregiver/decision-maker on associated risks and alternatives of the provided pharmacy service.    
  • The product should be monitored for signs of potential contamination at draw-up, and further education should be provided to the patient’s agent to monitor before administration.     
  • Preparation should take place in a designated compounding area following the standards for preparing immediate use preparations (see NAPRA Model Standards for Sterile Compounding).     
  • The compounder must don minimum personal protective equipment (PPE), including but not limited to sterile gloves (or gloves that have been disinfected with sterile alcohol) and a medical grade mask.     
  • The preparation must be performed by a pharmacist or regulated pharmacy technician.     
  • The preparation is limited to a two day supply that must be labelled with a maximum beyond use date of 48 hours from the point of preparation.     
  • The non-compliant pharmacy is limited to supplying a maximum of 6 days (three occurrences under this exemption).     
  • Supply of medications beyond the limits must occur from a NAPRA compliant facility. The pharmacy must refer the patient to a compliant facility or obtain medications prepared from a compliant facility.    
  • The product must be stored appropriately at the pharmacy, and education must be provided to the patient’s agent on storage at home.     

Prior to consideration of using the above exemption, it is imperative that pharmacists make every effort to seek the services of, or refer a patient to, a pharmacy that can provide sterile compounding that fully meets the NAPRA Model Standards for Sterile Compounding. This is considered ideal, best practice, and in the best interest of patient safety. The exemption is intended to provide timely access to necessary medications in order to offer the pharmacist and patient/caregiver time to source out fully compliant sources of the drug product.  

CPhM Office Schedule During the Holiday Season

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) will observe the following holiday schedule:        

  • Closed Thursday, December 25, 2025, through Thursday, January 1, 2026.     
  • Regular office hours resume on Friday, January 2, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.         

Documents may be left in the silver deposit box at the main entrance of the Centre for Professional Regulatory Collaboration, 210 Commerce Drive, Winnipeg MB. Email is the most efficient means by which to contact CPhM. Any issues or questions that arise during the closure will be addressed in the order in which they were received when the CPhM office re-opens on January 2, 2026. Thank you for your kind attention and cooperation. Happy Holidays! 

Please note there will be no Friday Five on January 2, 2025.  The next Friday Five will be published January 16, 2026. 

Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events

Optimizing Prescription Writing: Essentials and Updates in 30 Minutes 

  • Click here to access the prerecorded webinar 
  • 1.0 CEU