Friday Five (July 10, 2020)

This week's edition of the Friday Five.

Job Posting: Director of Review and Resolution

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba is presently in search of an experienced Director of Review and Resolution to lead its professional conduct, complaints, and discipline department.

The successful candidate will coordinate and oversee the investigation of formal complaints in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Act; manage informal concerns and provide support and facilitation to the Complaints Committee; act as liaison between the Complaints and Discipline Committees to prepare for discipline hearings; and recruit, supervise, and support staff and consultants required to investigate, report on, and administer the complaints and discipline processes within the legislated framework.

This is a full-time permanent position, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

For a complete description of the duties, qualifications, and required attributes for this position, and to apply, view the on-line posting:

https://www.fitzii.com/apply/50383?s=fc

The position is posted both internally and externally.  Applications will be reviewed from all sources as received until the position is filled.

The College values diversity and inclusion and encourages all qualified people to apply.

Pharmacist’s Role and Responsibilities in providing non-sterile compounding:

In accordance with the Pharmacy Facilities Practice Direction, pharmacies must have space and equipment necessary to provide compounding as part of the practice of pharmacy.

Compounding personnel must maintain their competencies to provide non-sterile compounded drug products and services suitable to their level of competency, facilities, equipment, and training. A pharmacy must make appropriate accommodations to obtain a compounded product or refer the patient to another pharmacy with appropriate facilities or competencies when the treatment required by the patient is beyond the scope of the member’s professional practice or competence.

It is the expectation that any community or hospital pharmacy in Manitoba has the ability to dispense a simple compounded product, when appropriate, to a patient. A simple compounded product is defined as a Level A compound within the NAPRA Model Standards  for Pharmacy Compounding of Non-Sterile Preparations

CPSM Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) Updates

A College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) interprofessional working group with representatives from the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM), College of Registered Nurses (CRNM) and other experts continues work to develop the Buprenorphine/Naloxone Recommended Practice Manual for OAT. Sections of the new Manual are posted on the CPSM website as they become available.

Recently, Recommendations for Buprenorphine/Naloxone Induction using the Micro-Dosing Method were uploaded to the CPSM website. Sections on In-Hospital Care, Take-Home (Carry) Dosing Recommendations, and Unwitnessed (Home) inductions Recommendations were previously posted to the CPSM website.  Pharmacists involved in OAT should familiarize themselves with these new recommendations as they are released.  CPhM will be updating the Opioid Agonist Therapy Guidelines for Manitoba Pharmacists to reflect these changes and new documents at a future date.

Reminder Regarding Witnessing of Ingestion of Opioid Agonist Therapy

Pharmacists are reminded that it is their responsibility to witness the ingestion of methadone and buprenorphine for opioid agonist therapy (OAT) within a pharmacy. This responsibility cannot be delegated to other non-pharmacist staff members, such as pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians, or students. The pharmacist must have firsthand, direct involvement, where the pharmacist is fully engaged in these activities.  

The pharmacist is responsible for:

  • Confirming the patient’s identity
  • Reviewing the patient’s profile for pertinent concerns
  • Assessing the patient for intoxication
  • Observing and documenting the ingestion
  • Monitoring the patient post-ingestion for a duration based on individual patient circumstances
  • Ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting

Seeing or supervising another pharmacy staff member performing the above tasks is not sufficient.  The Pharmaceutical Regulations in Manitoba and the Opioid Agonist Therapy Guidelines for Manitoba Pharmacists do not allow other pharmacy staff members to perform these activities in place of pharmacists.

For more information on witnessed ingestion, please see the Opioid Agonist Therapy Guidelines for Manitoba Pharmacists.