Operational Change to Prescribing and Dispensing of M3P Medications
Starting on February 15, 2023, Manitoba physicians will no longer require special status to prescribe Manitoba Prescribing Practices Program (M3P) medications. This means that pharmacists will only need to check the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) registered members list to confirm the following information before dispensing M3P medications:
- The physician does not have any formal prescribing restrictions, and
- The physician is authorized to prescribe methadone and/or buprenorphine/naloxone, when applicable.
Prescribing restrictions will be listed as “formal prescribing restriction, refer to page one” in the prescribing column of the CSPM registered members list located on your Pharmacy Portal. You will no longer see an “M3P” notation in the prescriber column.
To prescribe M3P medications, Manitoba physicians must:
- Hold a CPSM Certificate of Practice,
- Be free from formal prescribing restrictions, and
- Have the knowledge, skills, and clinical judgement to prescribe M3P medications safely.
Please note that all other professional practice and documentation requirements of M3P will stay the same.
Should you have any questions regarding this update or other prescribing issues, please contact info@cphm.ca.
Is Your Pharmacy’s Website Compliant? Online Sales of NAPRA Schedule 2 and 3 Drugs Not Permitted
The National Drug Schedules (NDS) program is a national drug scheduling model administered through the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA). The NDS program is a harmonized national model outlining the conditions for sales of Health Canada authorized drugs.
The NDS consists of three schedules and four categories: Schedule 1, Schedule 2, Schedule 3 and Unscheduled. In Manitoba, the NDS is recognized and adopted through the Pharmaceutical Regulation.
Schedule 2 and 3 drugs may pose a risk to specific populations. Therefore, to support the safe sale of these drugs, Council has approved and implemented the following two practice directions:
- Practice Direction Sale of NAPRA Schedule 2 Drugs (non-prescription, pharmacy only sale)
- Practice Direction Sale of NAPRA Schedule 3 Drugs (non-prescription, pharmacy only sales)
Pharmacists are required to make an assessment before selling a Schedule 2 drug. To sell a Schedule 3 drug, a pharmacist must be available to assist with patient self-selection or make a professional intervention when required.
The practice directions prohibit the online non-prescription sale of Schedule 2 and 3 drugs by Manitoba pharmacies. This includes sales directly on a pharmacy’s website and pharmacy sales facilitated through a third-party platform (website or app).
Please review your website or e-commerce platform for compliance. To determine if a drug falls into Schedule 2 or 3, please access the National Drug Schedule on the NAPRA website. Please note the NDS can be filtered by drug schedule or searched for a specific drug.
Decrease the Chances of Patient Harm: Safety IQ Academy Focus on High-Risk Processes
Certain processes in community pharmacy practice increase the risk of medication incidents. In Manitoba, 28 percent of incidents that caused patient harm were related to the following high-risk processes1:
- Compliance packaging
- Opioid agonist therapy
- Vaccinations
- Compounding
Over eight weeks, the Safety IQ Academy Blog will publish a series of posts addressing safety in high-risk processes. Articles about compliance packaging and opioid agonist therapy are currently posted. The articles feature short, actionable recommendations that could be used in most community pharmacies. Posts will also be updated in the Friday Five sidebar and at https://cphm.ca/practice-education/safety-iq/.
Please send any questions or comments by email to SafetyIQ@cphm.ca.
1 https://cphm.ca/wp-content/uploads/Resource-Library/SafetyIQ/MB-MIA-Report_Final.pdf
General Call for Expressions of Interest for Committee Service
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) has statutory and standing committees. The role of statutory committees is to carry out legislated duties; the role of standing committees is to support the work of Council. All committee work contributes to the CPhM mandate to regulate the practice of pharmacy in the public interest.
The composition of each committee varies and consists of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians registered/listed with CPhM, members of the public, and Council members.
Those interested in becoming a committee member with CPhM are encouraged to view the information on the website and submit a Committee Expression of Interest form.
CPhM considers a number of factors when reviewing expressions of interest for committee service, including expertise, experience, practice setting, demographic representation, and other unique skills or attributes. Appointments to committees are made in the best interest of the committee as a whole to ensure the committee is properly constituted and able to function effectively and achieve its duties and responsibilities.
Efforts are made to match volunteers with their expressed interests; appointments are contingent on the vacancies at any given time.
Upcoming Events & Professional Development Opportunities
2023 CSHP-MB Winter Evening Event- Updates in Diabetes
Saturday, February 25, 2023
For more information 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.
University of Victoria Palliative Care Pharmacy Micro-Credential: Professional Development Certificate
Click here to register and for more information.