- Mandatory Professional Development Reminder
- Continuing Competency Matters
- Pharmacist Roles in Addressing Misinformation
- Palliative Care Exemption for Compounding – Email to Pharmacy Managers Reminder
- Modifying Pharmacy Staffing in the Registrant Portal
- CPhM Office Closure Notice
- Professional Development Opportunities & Upcoming Events
Mandatory Professional Development Reminder
Please be reminded that both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are required to view this year’s mandatory webinar, Advancing Equity in Pharmacy: Supporting Gender Diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ Patients, by October 31, 2025.
The following document, posted in the “Announcements” section of your Registrant Portal, provides essential details for accessing and completing the current and previous mandatory modules: https://cphm.alinityapp.com/Client/PersonGroup/OpenDoc/1000073?ts=20251008094318.
Pharmacy professionals must view and receive your statement of completion of Advancing Equity in Pharmacy: Supporting Gender Diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ Patients before completing your renewal as once you complete your renewal you cannot add any new professional development learning activities.
Continuing Competency Matters
In recent Continuing Competency Matters we reviewed that most pharmacy provincial regulatory authorities (PRA) have modified their continuing competency programs (CCP) by emphasizing continuing professional development (CPD), including requiring minimum annual continuing education (CE), increasing documentation requirements, and auditing of submitted documentation. The Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) has taken an alternate approach by removing both minimum CE requirements and auditing of CE/CPD documentation. Completion of CE and maintenance of a learning portfolio continue to be expected of registrants, but there are no minimum requirements or routine submission of portfolios.
A second modification by most PRA is an assessment of individual registrant’s daily practice performance on a regular basis. Registrants can be selected for additional assessment through several methods, including: randomly over a specific period (typically over a five-year cycle) (Nova Scotia Peer Feedback), based on results of previous practice assessments (Alberta Annual Report), flagging due to issues with CE / CPD submissions (Alberta Competence Assessments)., or via specified risk factors. For example, OCP is currently selecting pharmacists for practice assessment who have never completed a practice assessment or who have not completed one within the past eight years (OCP Practice Assessment).
In the health professions, such practice assessments typically occur in one of three ways:
- peer review and discussion of patient cases / charts / documentation;
- on-site observation of registrants during daily practice;
- coaching of registrants following audit and feedback of registrants’ practice performance through 360 feedback.
The first type of assessment includes a review of the quality and completeness of documentation within the patient charts and a process of chart-stimulated-recall where registrants are asked to explain, expand upon, or describe specific actions related to the relevant patient (Chart Stimulated Recall). For instance, OCP requires registrants to submit specific documentation in advance and completes the discussion remotely (OCP Practice Assessment documents). On-site assessments often combine this type of assessment with direct observation of completion of professional tasks (BC Pharmacist Practice Review).
During both of these types of assessment, PRA focus on specific competencies and standards of practice, usually providing registrants with their assessment topics and processes in advance (e.g., OCP Cmty Practice Assessment, PEI Practice Assessment, BC Community Practice Assessment, Quebec Pharmacist Inspection).
As these programs consistently focus on offering registrants an opportunity to identify areas for practice improvement, registrants are provided feedback and learning supports prior to reassessment. OCP offers unsuccessful registrants a quality assurance (QA) coach for a half-day interactive session followed by an onsite (vs remote) reassessment by a difference advisor (OCP do not meet standards). If the registrant is unsuccessful on the second practice assessment, they are referred for a QA assessment by a College-appointed peer QA assessor.
Similarly, when the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia’s compliance officers observe unmet standards or guidelines, they can assign standardized action items that registrants must complete typically within 30 days (BC Action Items). Upon completion of all action items, the registrant’s review is complete (BC after practice review).
It is important to note that success rates are expected to be high on practice assessments. For instance, in 2024 OCP reported that 90% of pharmacists and 98% of pharmacy technicians were successful on their initial practice reviews (OCP Annual report 2024).
In the next Continuing Competency Matters, we will address the best practice approach to audit and feedback of registrant performance. Future editions will provide potential CCP models for CPhM that are based on best practices informed by feedback from pharmacists practicing in Manitoba.
Pharmacist Roles in Addressing Misinformation
Pharmacists hold a position of leadership and trust within the health system and the community at large. During this time of conflicting information, patients, caregivers, and other members of the public may turn to pharmacists for clarity. Pharmacists are reminded of their obligation, as per the Code of Ethics, to maintain a high standard of professional competence throughout their practice. This involves, as stated in the Code of Ethics Explanatory Document, keeping informed about new pharmaceutical knowledge, clinical literature and guidelines through a commitment to lifelong learning to maintain relevant knowledge and skills.
Pharmacists must cooperate with colleagues and other health care professionals to ensure optimal patient-centered care. This includes a responsibility to challenge the judgment of colleagues or other healthcare professionals if there is reason to believe their decisions could compromise the safety or quality of care.
In addition, pharmacists must respect the autonomy, values, and dignity of each patient. Pharmacists can do this in the following ways:
- Respect the right of patients to accept or reject any treatment, care, or professional service.
- Recognize the right of informed patients to make choices about their care.
- Listen to each patient and the patient’s caregivers and seek to understand the patient’s values and health goals.
- Provide patients with information they need and want to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Please take into consideration that any statements pharmacists make in public forums or on social media have the potential to influence the public and be taken as an expression of professional views or advice. It is important to review links and information that you are re-posting from other sources to ensure those sources of information are accurate and credible.
Palliative Care Exemption for Compounding – Email to Pharmacy Managers Reminder
On September 8, 2025, the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) sent an email to all pharmacy managers regarding the Sterile Compounding Exemption for Palliative Care Patients. Council is seeking pharmacy managers’ feedback to understand how community pharmacies in Manitoba are using the Sterile Compounding Exemption for Palliative Care Patients (the exemption). Council approved an extension of the exemption allowing 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. Your feedback will help inform Council’s future decision-making regarding the exemption.
The short survey contains 1-7 questions and will take about two minutes or less to complete. The survey will close on October 20, 2025.
Modifying Pharmacy Staffing in the Registrant Portal
As part of ongoing updates to the Registrant Portal, a new feature now allows pharmacy managers to modify the “Pharmacy Staff” listing within the pharmacy profile. This update enables pharmacy managers to remove staff members who are no longer employed at the pharmacy by ending their employment record.
To ensure accuracy, pharmacy managers will be prompted to provide the following details when ending an employment record:
- Expiry Date: The staff member’s last day of employment.
- Reason for Removal: Options include staff retirement, resignation, expired contract, or no HR record for employment.
The feature is only for the removal of staff from the pharmacy profile and does not give the ability to add new staff to the list. Pharmacy managers are to remind new staff that they need to update their employment on their registrant profile; only then will they appear on the pharmacy profile.
Pharmacy professionals must accurately update their own employment record, ensuring they do not list a pharmacy where they are not currently employed. In cases where a registrant repeatedly adds a pharmacy they do not work at and is repeatedly removed from a pharmacy profile, managers may seek assistance from CPhM for further guidance.
All updates to pharmacy profiles are subject to CPhM’s administrative review and approval. To ensure the accuracy of staffing information, pharmacy managers are encouraged to perform a monthly review of their pharmacy profile.
Your attention to this matter will help maintain accurate and up-to-date records. Thank you for your cooperation.
CPhM Office Closure Notice
Please be advised that the CPhM office will be closed on Monday, October 13, 2025.
Regular office hours resume on Tuesday, October 14, 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
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.
Targeting Social Isolation and Loneliness
- To register for the self-paced e-modules and for further information click here.
- 2.0 CEU
Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology’s Oncology Fundamentals Day 2025
- October 18, 2025
- Click here to register and for more information.
- 5.25 CEU
Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians (CAPT) Fall Virtual Conference
- October 19, 2025, 11:15 – 4:15 p.m. EST
- Click here to register and for more information.
- 4.0 CEU