- Honouring National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day 2025
- Continuing Competency Matters
- CPhM Implements New Fax Number
- M3P and Electronic Prescription Transmission Reminder
- Career Opportunity: Senior Communications Specialist – Full Time, Permanent
- CPhM Office Closure Notice
- Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events
Honouring National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day 2025
June marks National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize, honour, and celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. It is also a time to reflect on the deep and ongoing impacts of colonialism, including the legacy of residential schools, and the systemic inequities that continue to affect Indigenous communities today, especially within the healthcare system.
On June 21, we honour National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the heritage, identity, and strength of Indigenous Peoples. This important moment invites all of us to deepen our understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems, histories, and worldviews, and to reaffirm our shared responsibility toward truth, reconciliation, and justice.
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) acknowledges the ongoing health disparities and social injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples. As healthcare professionals, pharmacists have a critical role in building culturally safe, trauma-informed, and inclusive care environments. Reconciliation in pharmacy practice is not a one-time effort; it requires ongoing education, meaningful action, and accountability.
CPhM is committed to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, particularly those related to health (Calls 18–24). We are also committed to integrating cultural safety and humility into the core of our regulatory and strategic work to ensure pharmacy services are equitable and accessible for everyone living in Manitoba.
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): indigenouspharmacy.ca
- CSHP Resource Spotlight – Indigenous History Month: cshp.ca
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action (Health – Calls 18–24): nctr.ca
- Government of Canada: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/
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
The Continuing Competency sub-group of CPhM’s Quality Assurance Committee is being finalized, with monthly meetings organized to review best practices, develop initial proposals for the revised continuing competency program, and begin planning for registrant review and feedback.
Earlier work by the Quality Assurance Committee identified challenges faced by many regulatory authorities who relied on continuing education (CE) as the focus of continuing competency programs. Given the evidence that such programs have limited impact on practitioner’s daily practice, changes to CE-based continuing competency programs are being required to meet regulatory authorities’ legislated mandates.
A common challenge across professions is ensuring changes maximize the usefulness of continuing competency programs to registrants as they aim to provide quality care throughout their careers, while minimizing new or additional requirements.
These priorities align with Shared Health’s definition of quality, which takes a broader view of what is important in quality practice. For CPhM, traditional measures, such as pharmacy teams outcomes from targeted services like vaccinations or UTI management, or as integrated dispensing, remain important indicators of quality.
As patients are at the centre of care, their views on the care and services they receive from pharmacy teams are also highly valued when determining quality care. Patient Rated Experience Measures (PREMS) are being evaluated across provinces and countries to assess their value in supporting quality pharmacy practice.
Finally, recognizing the importance of pharmacy professionals’ well-being – such as finding meaning and satisfaction in their work – shows the need for continuing competency programs that reduce burdensome work while supporting pharmacists and pharmacy teams in their efforts to provide quality care.
Stay tuned as work continues!
CPhM Implements New Fax Number
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) has recently updated its phone system to modernize communications. The new phone system features an automated attendant to help direct your call to the appropriate department.
As part of this update, changes have also been made to the CPhM fax line. Effective July 1, 2025, CPhM will retire its longstanding fax number (204-237-3468). Going forward, both phone calls and faxes will be received at 204-233-1411.
Pharmacies that receive important notices issued by CPhM via email (communications@cphm.ca) and fax may have already noticed that faxes are now sent from the main line (204-233-1411), following the launch of the new fax capabilities in early June.
To ensure continued receipt of fax communication, pharmacy managers should confirm that the fax number listed in the pharmacy’s online profile is accurate and up to date. If your pharmacy is not receiving fax alerts, please contact Registration@cphm.ca
While email is the preferred method of communication, pharmacies that submit documents by fax (i.e. Internship or SPT Forms, Loss/Theft Reports, etc.), should now use 204-233-1411. The former fax line (204-237-3468) will no longer function after July 1, 2025.
Thank you for your cooperation as CPhM implements these updates to its communication system. If you have any questions, or require assistance, please contact Registration@cphm.ca.
M3P and Electronic Prescription Transmission Reminder
On June 1, 2024, updates to the Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions Practice Direction and the Manitoba Prescribing Practices Program (M3P) came into effect. Pharmacy professionals are reminded to review these important changes and ensure ongoing compliance.
- M3P Prescription Forms: Prescribers are strongly encouraged to use the standardized M3P prescription templates, available through their respective regulatory college portals. If the templates are not used, prescribers must ensure all the required information is present on the M3P prescription. See the M3P FAQ for more information.
- Electronic and Facsimile Transmission: The revised Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions Practice Direction now permanently authorizes Faxing of M3P prescriptions and E-prescribing for all prescriptions. See the Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions FAQ for more information
- Controlled Substances Transfer Authority: Under Health Canada’s Section 56(1) exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), pharmacists are authorized to transfer prescriptions for narcotics, controlled drugs, benzodiazepines, and targeted substances across Canada, including re-transfers. Although notification is not mandatory, pharmacists are encouraged to use professional judgment in informing prescribers if a prescription they wrote for a controlled substance is transferred outside of Manitoba, to help support continuity of care. See the Prescription Transfers for Controlled Substances under Health Canada Subsection 56(1) FAQ for more information.
To assist registrants in understanding and applying these changes, the prerecorded joint webinar Optimizing Prescription Writing: Essentials and Updates in 30 Minutes remains available. This webinar, which can be claimed as 1.0 accredited CEU, is designed to enhance prescription-writing and dispensing practices while reinforcing key expectations for all healthcare professionals involved in patient care.
To access the webinar:
- Log in to your CPhM Registrant Portal.
- Navigate to My Groups > Active Registrants > Professional Development > Joint Webinar on Optimizing Prescription Writing: Essentials and Updates in 30 Minutes.
For questions or further guidance, please contact info@cphm.ca.
Career Opportunity: Senior Communications Specialist – Full Time, Permanent
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) seeks a detail-oriented, tech-savvy, dynamic communications professional to support strategic and operational goals across the organization as a Senior Communications Specialist. This is a full-time, permanent position that offers a hybrid work model and the opportunity to lead meaningful, impact-driven communications work in a regulatory environment.
For a complete description of the duties, qualifications, and required attributes for this position, view the full position description https://cphm.ca/communication-specialist-2025-06-06/
To apply, view the on-line posting: https://www.fitzii.com/apply/93890?s=fc
Applications will be reviewed from all sources as received until the position is filled.
CPhM values diversity and inclusion and encourages all qualified people to apply.
CPhM Office Closure Notice
Please be advised that the CPhM office will be closed on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Regular office hours resume on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events
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.
2025 Mandatory Professional Development – Advancing Equity in Pharmacy: Supporting Gender Diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ Patients
Pharmacy professionals who were unable to attend the live webinar on February 5, 2025, must view a recording of the 2025 mandatory continuing education session by clicking here.