July â¢ August 2003 - Ontario College of Pharmacists

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COUNCIL OCP COUNCIL REPORT Misconduct Regulation, namely: “Offering or distributing, directly or indirectly, a gift, rebate, bonus or other inducement with respect to a prescription or prescription services.” The matter of loyalty programs has been before the College for several months, with a review being prompted both by external requests for review and internal concerns respecting ongoing enforcement challenges resulting from different interpretations of the existing policy and causing confusion in the marketplace. It is Council’s position that offering loyalty points, air miles or other incentives to induce patients to have prescriptions filled at more than one pharmacy is inconsistent with the current pharmaceutical care model that promotes high-quality care through long-term pharmacistpatient relationships. The College has long supported the view, shared by many health care professions, that it is in the patient’s best interest to find (and stay with) one health care provider, and in our case, one pharmacy, that best meets the patient’s health care needs and is the custodian of all the patient’s health information. Council also acknowledges current trends to support an enhanced role for the pharmacist in primary care reform and payment for cognitive services, and considers this revised policy to be in keeping with these trends. The College has also expended significant resources on public communication initiatives to help shift the public’s perception of the pharmacist and it believes that this new policy is consistent with this objective. It is vital for the public to see pharmacists more as health care professionals than retailers and that they view prescriptions more as important and serious entities necessary for their health than simple commodities or products. The new policy is: 1. Bonus points, loyalty points or air miles may not be awarded on prescriptions, prescription services, or other professional services related to the practice of pharmacy in Ontario. 2. Points may not be redeemed, or used as legal tender, for the purchase of prescriptions. 3. Prescriptions, prescription services, or other professional pharmacy services may be paid by a major credit card that is linked to awards, loyalty points or air miles through special agreements with financial institutions, except where directly or indirectly, a special gift, bonus, or other inducement is offered to a prescriptions, prescription services or other professional pharmacy services. 4. This policy does not affect the College’s current position respecting pharmacies and parking charges. Pharmacies that reimburse parking charges (for a client who is having a prescription filled) are not in violation of current regulations (professional misconduct), as long as such reimbursement is not advertised. Council additionally, agreed that the current advertising regulation and related issues respecting prescription services, such as inducements, soliciting and waiving of co-payments, need to be reviewed. In an effort to inform pharmacists, designated managers and owners, a notice with this new policy was faxed to all pharmacies in June. As well, owners and directors of pharmacy chains are being invited to meet with the College for an information and question and answer session on the new policy. 8 Pharmacy Connection July • August 2003
NOTICE Don’t Forget….. The next Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination will be held on Monday, October 20, 2003. Once a pharmacy technician has been deemed eligible to sit the examination, the College will send the “Application to Write the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam” package. Your application must be received at the College, with the appropriate fee of $233.26 (GST included) by no later than September 15, 2003. Check our website www.ocpinfo.com for CE and other resources. For your information, the following are forthcoming: Aug. 24 – Oct. 5: Toronto Certification Review for Pharmacy Technicians – 2003 Humber College Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm Aug. 24, Sep. 7, 14, 21, Oct. 5 tel: (416) 675-5000 Oct. 24: Ottawa Pharmacy Technician Conference: Pharmacy - To Serve & Protect Ottawa Hospital, General Campus Kim Lamont tel: (613) 737-8899, x 72585 fax: (613) 737-8891 klamont@ottawahospital.on.ca Oct. 24-25: Listowel Technicians 2003 Current Topics for Pharmacy Listowel Memorial Hospital Chris Vanderspiegel tel: (519) 291-3125, x 231 fax: (519) 291-5440 chris.vanderspiegel@hphp.org Pharmacy Connection July • August 2003 9
Page 1 and 2: July/August 2003 New Precursor Cont
Page 3 and 4: Ontario College of Pharmacists 483
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Page 11 and 12: COVER STORY Greg Ujiye, B.Sc.Phm. M
Page 13 and 14: COVER STORY Information Office of C
Page 15 and 16: CLASS A PRECURSORS INDIVIDUAL EXEMP
Page 17 and 18: Q&A • Ensure that all relevant do
Page 19 and 20: FEATURE currently 15 weeks versus 1
Page 21 and 22: Q&A Q A& Q A Stephanie Edwards, B.S
Page 23 and 24: HEALTH CANADA Advisories & Notices
Page 25 and 26: COLUMN which include routine, re-in
Page 27 and 28: COLUMN deficiency is extreme, the i
Page 29 and 30: COMPLAINTS Reasons The Complaints C
Page 31 and 32: REPORT Recommendation #9 to the Gov
Page 33 and 34: DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE CASE 2 Failur
Page 35 and 36: DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE Order 1. A re
Page 37 and 38: DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE regulations t
Page 39 and 40: COLUMN scription Renewals/Changes C
Page 41 and 42: B U L L E T I N B O A R D Class 7T3
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July â¢ August 2003 - Ontario College of Pharmacists