NAPRA Pilot Program to Prepare for Practical Training (P4T) Call for Mentors
The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) has launched its Pilot Program to Prepare for Practical Training (P4T).
P4T is a short-term pilot project that aims to provide access to tools, resources, and a mentorship program to specifically address the learning and skill gaps identified as barriers to success for international pharmacy graduates pursuing licensure as a pharmacist in Canada.
NAPRA is seeking 150 experienced pharmacists across the country to be P4T mentors for a 4- to 12-week period. The mentorship component of P4T provides international pharmacy graduates with the opportunity to gain practical experience in Canadian pharmacies as well as relevant cultural knowledge and communication skills before they begin their formal training and assessments.
Please note that the P4T program is separate from the CPhM internship, and hours cannot be used to fulfill the provincial licensing requirements. A mentor for P4T is not equivalent to a preceptor approved by Council for the purposes of a CPhM internship.
To learn more about the program, contact NAPRA at p4t-4pf@napra.ca, visit the P4T page, or see NAPRA’s call for mentors here.
Recent COVID-19 Immunization Campaign FAQs
Q: Is the pharmacy required to use the Manitoba Health COVID-19 vaccine consent form?
All community pharmacy sites registered to provide the COVID-19 vaccine are required to use the Manitoba Health COVID-19 vaccine consent form approved by the provincial Vaccine Implementation Task Force. In-house consent forms do not fulfill provincial requirements.
Q: Can pharmacy students, interns and pharmacy technicians administer a COVID-19 vaccine in a pharmacy?
The Ministerial Order under The Regulated Health Professions Act (vaccine administration) states that “only a pharmacist who is certified in an advanced method to provide immunizations under The Pharmaceutical Act may administer the vaccine for COVID-19 in a pharmacy.” Therefore, students and interns are not permitted to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in a pharmacy as per the Ministerial Order. Pharmacy technicians cannot administer any drugs or vaccines by injection because this is not in a pharmacy technician’s scope of practice under The Pharmaceutical Act and Regulations and because of the limitations in how they are regulated in Manitoba.
Please visit the Manitoba Health Q&A page or the College COVID-19 page for more Frequently Asked Questions.
Manitoba COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Practice Guidelines
Manitoba Health and Seniors Care (MHSC) has developed a provincial COVID-19 Vaccine: Clinical Practice Guidelines for Immunizers and Health Care Providers, which can be found at the following link https://manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/healthcare-professionals.html. All pharmacists are encouraged to review it and use it as a resource to field questions from patients and the public.
Pharmacists are reminded to comply with the posted MHSC Eligibility Criteria for the COVID-19 Vaccine if immunizing the public, including the criteria for age and priority health conditions. Eligibility changes regularly and it is important for all pharmacy staff to be trained on how to access this link, how to communicate eligibility criteria with members of the public, and where to refer them for more information.
If immunization providers are having difficulty using vaccines before its expiry date, it must be reported to the Vaccination Immunization Task Force (VITF) for redistribution. As vaccine allotments remain limited, fair and equitable inventory management with direction from the VITF is crucial.
More information for health care professionals on the COVID-19 immunization campaign can be found on the MHSC page here, on the MHSC COVID-19 Vaccine Resources and Forms page, or the College COVID-19 page.
Pharmacy Technician Listing Renewal Reminder
Pharmacy Technicians must renew their listing with the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba annually. The renewal portal opened on March 15, 2021, and the deadline for pharmacy technicians to submit their application for listing renewal is May 17, 2021, to be listed with the College by June 1, 2021.
Pharmacy managers are reminded that they (or a delegate) must complete a performance review with the pharmacy technician at the practice site, at a minimum of every two years. This review must include documentation of:
- the total number of hours the pharmacy technician has worked (hours worked as a pharmacy assistant are not eligible);
- an assessment of the pharmacy technician’s job performance in terms of quality of patient care, administrative skills and the ability to work consistently within the rules governing the pharmacy and pharmacy practice; and
- the completion of the PD requirement.
Pharmacy technicians are required to have worked for at least 600 hours in the three-year period immediately preceding renewal each year (starting three years after first qualifying). Pharmacy technicians must inform the College immediately if they have not met or anticipate that they will not meet the practice hour requirement.
The PD requirement for pharmacy technicians is a minimum of 15 hours of learning activities completed between June 1 and May 31 of each year. Of these 15 hours, a minimum of five hours must be from accredited learning activities, and the remaining 10 hours can be fulfilled by either accredited or non-accredited learning activities.
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Professional Development Opportunities:
CSHP National Virtual Conference 2021
March 20-27, 2021.
Register here.
Manitoba ACS Network Heart Attack Day 2021
April 9, 2021 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
To purchase event tickets, click here.
Opioid Agonist Therapy 101 Introduction to Clinical Practice
April 29 – 30, 2021 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
To purchase event tickets, click here.