FAQ

The Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) is the governing and regulatory body for the pharmacy profession in Alberta. We govern pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies in order to support and protect the public’s health and well-being.

We:

• register pharmacists and pharmacy technicians;
• license pharmacies;
• measure and support the competence of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians;
• participate in local, provincial, and national forums when health policy is debated;
• develop and enforce pharmacy practice standards and guidelines; and
• resolve complaints about pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies.

ACP makes sure pharmacy care is appropriate, effective, and safe for you and your family.

Every year thousands of people are admitted into hospitals because they did not take their medication properly.

Please talk to your pharmacist. Do not leave the pharmacy or hospital until you fully understand how to use your medication properly.

What do you need to know to take your medication safely?

1. Why am I taking this medication?
2. How and when should I take this medication?
3. Is there anything I should or should not eat or drink while I am taking this medication?
4. What should I do if I miss my dose?
5. How will I remember to take my medicine?
6. I have allergies. Is it safe for me to take this medication?
7. Are there any side effects I should watch for?
8. What should I do if I don’t feel well after I take my medication?
9. Will my medication interact with other drugs, vitamins, or herbal supplements?
10. Is it safe to drink alcohol or drive while I am taking this medication?
11. Can I take this medication if I am pregnant or breast-feeding?
12. How will I know if this medication is working?
13. If I feel better can I stop taking it?
14. Where should I keep my medication?

Filing a complaint

The Alberta College of Pharmacy encourages patients who have concerns about the pharmacy services they receive to discuss the matter directly with the pharmacist.

If necessary, patients may ask to speak to the pharmacy licensee. Every pharmacy has a licensee who is required to administer quality assurance processes within the pharmacy and is responsible for the policies and procedures at the pharmacy. The Alberta College of Pharmacy requires pharmacy licensees to respond directly to patient concerns.

If you are still concerned after speaking with the pharmacist and/or pharmacy licensee, you may speak to a member of our Complaints Department to confirm if the Alberta College of Pharmacy has jurisdiction in the matter, and to discuss how best to resolve your concerns.

The Alberta College of Pharmacy responds to concerns about:

• a pharmacist’s or pharmacy technician's practice, or
• a pharmacy's operations.

The Alberta College of Pharmacy does not regulate pharmacy matters pertaining to customer service, prescription pricing/refunds, or compensation. If your concerns relate to one of these areas, in addition to speaking directly with the pharmacy licensee, you may wish to contact the pharmacy’s corporate office.

Filing a complaint

If after speaking with a member of the Complaints Department, it is determined that a formal complaint is necessary, you would take the following steps:

1. Obtain a copy of the Complaint Reporting Form by calling the college office at 1-877-227-3838 or 780-990-0321.
2. Send your completed, dated, and signed report to the college: 

Attn: Complaints Department
Alberta College of Pharmacy
1100-8215 112 St. NW
Edmonton, AB   T6G 2C8

The Health Professions Act requires that complaints be submitted in writing and signed.  You may mail or fax us a letter, or submit your complaint on our Complaint Reporting Form.

The Complaints Director will review your written statement. If necessary, the Complaints Director will appoint a preliminary investigator to look into the allegations. You will receive correspondence from the Complaints Director to inform you of the decision concerning your complaint.

What is the complaints review process?

When the Complaints Director receives a written complaint, he may:

• encourage the complainant and the investigated person to communicate with each other and resolve the complaint;
• attempt to resolve the complaint (with the consent of the complainant and the investigated person);
• refer the complaint to an alternative complaint resolution process;
• request an expert to assess and provide a written report on the matter of the complaint;
• conduct, or appoint an investigator to conduct an investigation;
• dismiss the complaint, if satisfied that it is trivial or vexatious;
• dismiss the complaint, if satisfied that there is insufficient or no evidence of unprofessional conduct.

If a complaint is investigated:

Once the investigation is complete, the Complaints Director decides whether a complaint should be dismissed or referred for a hearing.

If alternative complaint resolution is used:

When alternative complaint resolution is used, the complaint is either successfully resolved through mediation or is referred back to the Complaints Director for resolution.

Your pharmacist can:

• Recommend over-the-counter (OTC) products, vitamins, and herbal supplements
• Teach you how to take and store your medication so you get the best results
• Monitor and help manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure
• Adapt prescriptions:
• renew (refill) a prescription for continuity of care,
• substitute one drug for another, within the same class of drugs
• alter the dose, formulation, or regimen (e.g., give you a liquid instead of a tablet)
• Follow up with you to ensure your drug therapy is working and provide additional support in using your drugs properly

Alberta pharmacists can also renew prescriptions, and be authorized to administer drugs by injection and prescribe medications. 

What else can pharmacists do?

Pharmacists also participate in the following:

• Health Promotion: Wellness screening programs for osteoporosis, diabetes, cholesterol, immunizations, nutrition and diet counseling, home visits, tobacco reduction, family planning and reproductive health, breast pump counseling.
   
• Disease Management: Education programs for patients that help them manage their health (hypertension, cholesterol, asthma, depression, anticoagulation, women's health, arthritis, pain management, osteoporosis), blood sugar and blood pressure monitoring, readings and interpretations.
   
• Ensuring Effective Drug Therapy Outcomes: Medication reviews, home visits, specialty compounding, drug information consultations, addictions/substance abuse counseling (methadone, opiate dependency).
   
• Primary Health Care: Treatment of minor injury and ailments (mouth ulcers, burns/scalds, colds, influenza, constipation, diarrhea, etc.), fitting of braces, crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, pressure stockings, triage telephone inquiries and counseling natural health and herbal therapy.

Talk to your pharmacist and get to know the range of services that your pharmacy offers.

Who are the other people behind the counter?

You may see a number of other people behind your pharmacy counter who are not pharmacists.

Pharmacy technicians

Pharmacy technicians are regulated health professionals. They assist with the day-to-day technical functions so that pharmacists can focus their time on patient care. Pharmacy technicians not only count pills and run the cash register, but also prepare drugs, enter drug orders, control pharmacy inventory, maintain complex equipment and obtain insurance authorizations.

Other pharmacy staff

Unregulated individuals, such as pharmacy assistants, may work in the dispensary under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. All of these people must maintain the confidentiality of all patient information received in the pharmacy.

Your goal is to ensure the person who administers the drug has sufficient information to enable the patient to receive the intended benefit of the drug therapy, including proper administration of the drugs. If someone other than a regulated health professional is administering the drug, that person may be considered the patient’s agent. The standards allow you to deal with the patient’s agent when it is in the best interest of the patient. Therefore, a dialogue with the care giver responsible for administering the drug is recommended.

Some facilities have a nurse or another regulated health professional who supervises the work of non-regulated staff members. In these circumstances, you should work with the regulated person responsible for supervising the administration of drugs to ensure that the appropriate training and policies and procedures are in place to meet the goal of enabling the patient to receive the intended benefit of the drug therapy. This may include consideration of other provincial standards, such as those relating to long-term care facilities.

No. Schedule 2 drugs must only be sold by a pharmacist. The pharmacist is required to determine whether there is now or is likely to be a drug-related problem with a Schedule 2 drug.

(Standard 8.2,  Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

Refer to the Health Canada's Quick reference guide for pharmacists dispensing and purchasing controlled substances for more information.

A record of care includes drug-related problems and the actions taken or monitoring plans created to deal with them, a list of any prescriptions adapted and other drugs prescribed, or a list of drugs administered by injection. The record of care also includes other information such as prescriptions that were not filled or summaries of consultations with the patient or other health care providers.

(Appendix A, Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

Never, at the moment. However, you may accept prescriptions faxed directly to your pharmacy from a physician's EMR. In the absence of a handwritten signature, the physician's password access to their EMR may be considered the prescriber's direct authorization (i.e. meets the requirements for a signature in ACP's standards). 

Electronic transmission of prescriptions in limited circumstances became acceptable when the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) standard entitled Prescribing came into effect in March 2016. The CPSA standard is designed to allow electronic transmission of prescriptions in the future when approved or official secure, system-to-system messaging between physicians' Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Netcare and/or Pharmacy systems become available. 

The obligation for a pharmacist or pharmacy technician to determine the authenticity of prescriptions has not been removed. It is expected that you will assess the authenticity of the prescription as you have done in the past for prescriptions faxed to your pharmacy. If you have any doubts or concerns about the authenticity of a prescription, you should contact the prescriber for confirmation. 

Acceptable

• Prescriptions faxed directly to a pharmacy from a physician's password-protected EMR.
• Prescriptions produced by computer and hand-signed by the prescriber or with an electronic signature that is then signed or initialled by the prescriber and delivered by the patient are acceptable. However, it is your responsibility to ensure the prescription is authentic, just as you would for a prescription which is handwritten.

• Prescriptions that are produced by computer and hand-signed by the prescriber, or with an electronic signature and signed or initialled by the prescriber, that are then faxed to the pharmacy.

NOT acceptable

• Prescriptions emailed to you.
• Prescriptions produced by computer but not signed by the prescriber, or prescriptions with an electronic signature that is not signed or initialled by the prescriber (unless faxed directly from physician's EMR). There are insufficient security measures in place to ensure the validity of prescriptions sent electronically.

For best practices, refer to Ensuring Safe & Efficient Communication of Medication Prescriptions.

No. The audit trail must identify all staff members who were involved in filling the prescription.

(Standard 7.16, Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

Drug incident:  any event that may cause or lead to inappropriate drug use or patient harm.

Adverse drug event: an unexpected and undesired incident that results in patient harm such as injury, adverse outcome or death.

Drug error: an adverse drug event or a drug incident where the drug has been released to the patient

Yes. All adverse drug events must be recorded as part of the pharmacy’s quality assurance process.

(Standard 6, Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies)

No, a written transaction record is not required for Schedule 2 drugs. Appendix A of the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians outlines the information that must be included in the patient record, but a written record is not required for the sale of Schedule 2 drugs. However, pharmacists are reminded that when prescribing a drug, including a Schedule 2 drug, they must reduce the prescription to writing in accordance with Standard 11.10 of the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

(Appendix A of the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

No. You are not required to record a drug incident if it is discovered and corrected before the drug is released to the patient.

However, if the drug incident is not discovered until after the drug has been released to the patient, it must be recorded as part of the quality assurance process. Recording is required even if the patient did not ingest any of the drug. However, you may wish to record these "near misses" to prevent them from recurring.

Note: if the drug incident is not discovered until after the drug has been released to the patient, it must be recorded as part of the quality assurance process. Recording is required even if the patient did not ingest any of the drug.

Patient records must be retained for 10 years past the last date of pharmacy service provided or for two years past the age of majority (18 years) of the patient if the patient is a child.

See the Record Retention Chart for more details.

(Standard 8.8, Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies)

You are required to have a dialogue or a conversation with a patient or a patient’s agent in each of the following circumstances:

• When a Schedule 1 drug is dispensed to a patient for the first time. (This includes switching dosage forms such as regular-release to long-acting or vice versa)
• When a Schedule 2 drug is sold to a patient for the first time.
• If a patient requests counselling.
• If, in your professional opinion, a dialogue is needed to resolve a drug-related problem or to ensure the patient has enough information to receive the intended benefit of the medication.

(Standard 8.3,  Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

Dialogue is not required if the drug will only be administered by a regulated health professional to the patient. This scenario includes patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities.

(Standard 8.4,  Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

Enter the date that the TPP form was received at the pharmacy and write "deferred" on the TPP form.

Note: A TPP form must be logged or filled by a pharmacist within 72 hours of being written. Send the TPP form to the College of Physicians & Surgeons after it has been logged.

The concept of "informed consent" was developed on the premise of two distinct components: 

1. patients’ rights to determine what happens to their bodies, and
2. health professionals’ inherent duty to provide patients with enough information to make an informed decision.

Generally, for a patient’s consent to medical treatment to be acceptable

• the consent must be voluntary,
• the patient must have the capacity to consent, and
• the patient must be properly informed.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/

International English Language Testing System (IELTS):
www.ielts.org/default.aspx

In Alberta, a commissioner for oaths is appointed by the Inspector of Legal Offices and has been granted specific powers to complete the following:

1. Administer oaths
2. Take and receive affidavits
3. Witness declarations and affirmations for statutory declarations

People who are Commissioners for Oaths Ex Officio

1. a barrister and solicitor
2. a student at law under the Legal Profession Act
3. a full-time commissioned officer in the Canadian Forces
4. a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
5. a member of the Alberta House of Commons
6. a member of the Senate of Canada who at the time of his/her appointment as a senator is a resident of Alberta
7. a member of a municipal council in Alberta
8. a member of a Metis settlement council
9. a member of a board of trustees of a school district or a school division in Alberta
10. a justice of the peace
11. a police officer as defined in the Police Act
12. all court judges in Alberta
13. A notary public appointed under the Notaries Public Act

Other locations you may find a commissioner for oaths:

• main branches of banks
• municipal offices
• universities
• hospitals
• lawyers offices 

The Alberta College of Pharmacy has commissioners for oath on staff.

You can get return envelopes from the Alberta College of Pharmacy office:

• Phone: 1-877-227-3838 / 780-990-0321
• Fax: 780-990-0328
• Email: acpinfo@abpharmacy.ca.

When you receive a targeted substance from a licensed dealer, another pharmacist, or a hospital, you must keep a record of

• the brand name;
• the quantity and strength per unit;
• the number of units per package, and the number of packages;
• the name and address of the licensed dealer, pharmacist, or hospital that supplied it; and
• the date on which it was received.

Pharmacists must provide the following information:

• notification that they have prescribed (or adapted a prescription),
• the type and amount of the drug prescribed,
• the rationale for prescribing the drug,
• the date the drug was prescribed, and
• instructions given to the patient.

The letter of character reference must be written in the last 12 months and can be written by anyone except family members.  The letter should be written by someone who has known you for at least one year. Suggested sources include:

• employers
• co-workers
• instructors
• coaches
• neighbours
• family friends

There is no specific format or length required for a letter of character
reference but the letter should include the following:

• the capacity in which the writer has known you
• some insight about you (e.g., work ethic, special interests, volunteer work)
• detail about why the writer feels you would make a good pharmacist

The letter may be hand written or typed; form letters or email submissions will not be accepted. The letter must be signed by the writer.

You may disclose health information to a police service without the individual’s consent if you believe that the information relates to the possible commission of an offence under a statute of Alberta or Canada and will either:

• Detect, limit, or prevent fraudulent use or abuse of the health system (HIA S.37.1), or
• Protect the health or safety of an individual (HIA S.37.3).

The disclosure must be limited to the following information, any of which may be required by police to complete the investigation:

• The individual’s name, birth date, and personal health number;
• The nature of any injury or illness of the individual;
• The date on which a health service was sought or received;
• The location where the health service was sought or received;
• The name of any drug provided or prescribed to the individual, and the date the drug was provided or prescribed;
• Whether any samples of bodily substances were taken from the individual, or
• Information about the health provider who provided the service.

Document the disclosure on the individual’s record and keep it for at least 10 years.

If the prescriber is authorized to write the prescription in their province of employment, then you may fill it. Which medications various health professionals are permitted to prescribe varies by province. To confirm prescription validity, check with the prescriber’s college in their province of employment.

You must record

• the date of the transfer;
• the name of the pharmacist to whom the prescription is transferred;
• the name and address of the pharmacy where the prescription is being transferred; and
• if applicable, the number of refills being transferred. 

This is an indirect collection; it is allowable if the patient is incapacitated and not reasonably able to present and fill their prescriptions themselves, or if the family member is an authorized representative (e.g., parent of a minor). Otherwise, you will need some reasonable indication that the patient has authorized the family member to provide you with their health information.

A good practice is to get from the patient, the first time they are able to be present, the names of others who might provide or receive information on their behalf. Otherwise, the fact that the patient is covered by the family member’s health insurance may be a good indicator that the person is acting on the patient’s behalf.

If there is any doubt about the information or status of the person providing the information, contact the patient directly before completing the collection.

The college accepts these tests and scores to meet the English fluency requirement.

If there is a choice between a general and academic test, the college requires an academic score.

ACP regulates prescribing by pharmacists through the additional prescribing authorization process that allows only qualified pharmacists to prescribe. 

Pharmacists must participate in ongoing professional development and the college’s competence program throughout their careers. This includes annually completing a professional development log for review, using the self-assessment tool to identify strengths and opportunities for further development, and participating in practice assessments.

Yes, you may ask to see identification such as a driver’s licence in order to confirm their identity, but should not record it as it would not be a collection under the HIA.

Whenever there is a disclosure of health information within or outside the circle of care, the pharmacy professional responsible must ensure that the following information is logged about the transaction and that it is retained for at least 10 years:

• Name of person to whom information disclosed;
• Date and purpose; and
• Description of information disclosed.

This information may be kept as a separate disclosure log (paper-based or electronic) or may simply be any documentation kept in a record that provides the same data whenever it is subsequently requested.

Note: You do not have to log the disclosure if you upload the information onto Netcare. The requirement to make a note does not apply to custodians that permit other custodians electronic access when the electronic system (e.g., Netcare) automatically keeps an electronic log of the information listed.

Health Canada does not require pre-authorization requests for the local destruction of unserviceable narcotics and controlled drugs. This means that pharmacists may proceed with destruction without notifying and receiving acknowledgment from Health Canada in advance.

Local (on site) destruction is one option available to pharmacists and persons in charge of hospitals when destroying unserviceable narcotics and/or controlled drugs. It is important to note that any record or written order required to be retained under the regulations made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), or any relevant CDSA exemption, must be retained in a manner that permits an audit to be made pursuant to sections 41 and 64 of the Narcotic Control Regulations and sections G.03.011 and G.05.002 of Part G of the Food and Drug Regulations. With respect to appropriate record keeping and destruction, Health Canada recommends the following:

1. Before any destruction, the pharmacist should record information with respect to the destruction, such as the destruction date, name, strength per unit, and quantity of the controlled substance to be destroyed. This information should be kept for a period of two years. Beyond the two-year period, it is up to the hospital administrators, pharmacists, or practitioners to determine if these records should be kept for a longer period based on other regulatory requirements such as provincial or professional practice regulations.

2. The pharmacist should destroy the drugs in the presence of another health professional. Both witnesses should record their names and destruction date on a statement indicating they witnessed the destruction. For these purposes, a health professional could be a pharmacist, pharmacy technician, practitioner, nurse, pharmacy intern, or an inspector from the provincial pharmacy licensing authority.

3. The controlled substance should be destroyed using a method of destruction that conforms with applicable federal, provincial, and municipal environmental legislation.

4. The controlled substance should be altered or denatured to such an extent that its consumption has been rendered impossible or improbable.

For the regulatory requirements for the destruction of benzodiazepines and other targeted substances, please refer to sections 2, 55 and subsection 65(1) of the Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations. 

Pharmacists and persons in charge of hospitals who do not wish to destroy narcotics or controlled drugs on site may, through an exemption under section 56 of the Controlled Substances and Drugs Act, sell or provide these substances, to a licensed dealer who is licensed to destroy narcotics or controlled drugs. 

Pharmacists may prescribe all Schedule 1 drugs and blood products. There are no lists of drugs; instead, all pharmacists are expected to limit their prescribing to situations where they have an adequate understanding of the patient, the condition being treated, and the drug being prescribed.

(Section 16, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation; Standard 11, Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians)

Pharmacists are authorized by a Health Canada s(56) exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to prescribe narcotics, controlled drugs, and targeted drugs. These drugs should be prescribed in accordance with the ACP Controlled drugs and substances exemption guidelines and the conditions outlined in the Health Canada exemption.

In cases such as tax receipts and other non-continuing care matters, the person requesting the information must be an authorized representative of the patient, which includes:

• Guardian of a minor who is not competent to understand their rights (careful with minors aged 14-18!);
• Personal representative for the administration of a deceased individual’s estate, for estate purposes;
• Guardian or trustee under the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act;
• Agent under the Personal Directives Act;
• Attorney under power of attorney;
• Nearest relative of a formal patient under the Mental Health Act;
• Person with written authorization from the individual to act on the individual’s behalf.

Be sure to verify the status of the recipient. If they are not an authorized representative, you will need the written consent of the patient before you disclose the information.

Document the disclosure unless it was to an authorized representative, and keep it for at least 10 years.

No. However, you must

• record, before the destruction, the name, strength per unit, and quantity of the targeted substance to be destroyed;
• ensure the method of destruction conforms with federal, provincial, and municipal environmental legislation;
• record the date of the destruction;
• have the destruction witnessed by a pharmacist, pharmacy technician, or other regulated health professional; and,
• immediately after the destruction, ensure you and the witness sign and print your names on a joint statement indicating you have witnessed the destruction, and the targeted substance destroyed has been altered or denatured to such an extent that its consumption has been rendered impossible or improbable.

These records must be kept for two years. 

All pharmacists registered on the clinical register may prescribe by adapting a prescription or may prescribe in an emergency.
 
Pharmacists who have been granted an additional prescribing authorization may also prescribe to initiate drug therapy and/or manage ongoing drug therapy.

Yes. When doing so, you must first verify the identity of the person who is giving the order. Before filling the prescription, you must record

• the name and address of the individual or animal for whose benefit the prescription is issued;
• the date of the verbal prescription;
• the specified name or brand name of the targeted substance, as specified in the prescription;
• the quantity and, if applicable, the strength per unit of the targeted substance;
• the name of the recording pharmacist, and the name of the practitioner who issued the prescription;
• the handwritten initials or signature of the pharmacist who reduced the verbal prescription to writing;
• the directions for use as specified by the practitioner; and
• if applicable, the number of refills authorized, and, if specified, the interval between refills.

You must also keep a hard copy or create a written record of the verbal prescription. These records must be kept for two years.

No.  A pharmacist must not prescribe a drug or blood product unless the intended use is:

1. An indication approved by Health Canada,
2. Considered a best practice or accepted clinical practice in peer-reviewed clinical literature, or
3. Part of an approved research protocol.

You may deal with the patient’s agent if you are satisfied that dealing with a patient’s agent rather than directly with the patient is in the best interest of the patient. Some factors that you may take into account in making this decision are:

• the patient’s express wishes,
• the patient’s health,
• the patient’s age,
• the patient’s mental state or capacity, and
• the patient’s absence from the pharmacy.

Yes, you may refill a prescription for a targeted substance if

• the practitioner who prescribed it expressly directs that the prescription may be refilled and specifies the number of refills;
• the pharmacist makes a record of each refill;
• less than one year has elapsed since the day on which the prescription was issued by the practitioner;
• at least one refill remains on the prescription; and
• in the case where an interval between refills has been specified by the practitioner, the interval has expired.

Prescribing Schedule 2 and 3 drugs is not a restricted activity. It is not mandatory to notify other members of the patient’s health team; however, pharmacists will use their discretion to determine when it is appropriate to do so.

Clinical pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians must complete and submit a professional portfolio to ACP to be eligible to renew their practice permit for the following registration year. If you maintain your practice permit, you are responsible for maintaining your competence. Even outside of practice, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should be able to meet the CCP requirements.

If you feel that you cannot complete the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program and are NOT currently practising in Alberta, you may choose to go to the associate register. Please note that when you move into the associate register, you are NOT permitted to practise as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician and no fees will be refunded. When you are ready to return to practice, you would have to reinstate as a clinical pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician and complete requirements per the reinstatement policies.

Any licensed pharmacist may dispense methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone. No exemption or approval is required.

Before dispensing methadone or buprenorphine-naloxone, review the OAT Guidelines and become familiar with relevant clinical guidelines, federal guidelines, and local programs.

No, you can only claim courses that you have attended or completed during the current CE cycle.

A prescription submitted to a pharmacist or pharmacy technician by a patient becomes the property of the pharmacy. The pharmacist or pharmacy technician has the right to retain the prescription; if a forgery is suspected, the prescription could serve as evidence.

If an irate patient demands the return of an unfilled prescription, the pharmacist or pharmacy technician may choose to return it after stamping and initialling it to indicate that they refused to fill the prescription in question.

Methadone

As of May 2018, Health Canada no longer requires methadone prescribers to obtain a federal exemption under section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and that oversight now lies with the various provincial regulators. 

Physicians who prescribe methadone in Alberta will still require OAT approval from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) and will need to re-apply to their college every three years. Current exemptions in place are still active but will need to be renewed as they expire.

When pharmacists receive a prescription for methadone from an Alberta physician, they should direct all confirmation requests to CPSA at 780-423-4764 or 1-800-561-3899 or email methadoneinfo@cpsa.ab.ca.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are not required to apply to CARNA for an authorization to prescribe methadone. Rather, they must complete education and preceptorship appropriate to the area of their prescribing and need only submit proof of this to CARNA upon their request.

If pharmacists receive a prescription from an NP for methadone, suboxone, or any other narcotic or controlled substance, they can check the nurse practitioner’s prescriber list on the ACP website.

If the prescriber is licensed and does not have a condition on their licence restricting them from prescribing controlled drugs and substances, the pharmacist can dispense the medication. As with any medication, if the pharmacist assesses that there is a concern or problem with the prescription they should contact the prescriber and collaborate to clarify and resolve the issue.

For any out-of-province prescriptions, pharmacists should contact the appropriate regulatory body in the prescription’s province of origin as regulations vary by jurisdiction and profession.

Buprenorphine-naloxone

No approval is required for physicians to prescribe buprenorphine-naloxone, however CPSA strongly recommends that physicians complete a buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders course.

More information on CPSA’s requirements for prescribing for opioid dependence treatment can be found on the CPSA website.

You are required to keep your documents (e.g., certificates of course completion, evidence of your implementation) for two years in case the college requires hard copies.

No, there is no minimum requirement for accredited CEUs. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians may complete any combination of accredited or non-accredited learning activities to a minimum of 15 CEUs each CE cycle.

Prescription adaptation guide

Yes! Check out the examples in the Competence section of our website.

In Alberta, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are granted the privilege of self-regulation and professional autonomy through the Health Professions Act. As a regulated health professional, it means that

·       You have met the educational requirements and have demonstrated the entry-to-practice competencies.

·       You are legally responsible and accountable for your work.

·       You are directly responsible to the public and your healthcare colleagues for maintaining your professional competence.

Patients have a right to assume that a healthcare professional’s practice permit is assurance of current professional competence. Healthcare colleagues want assurance that those with whom they practice are current and competent. For these reasons, the Health Professions Act requires that Council establish a Continuing Competence Program to ensure health professionals fulfil their professional responsibility of maintaining competence.

Refer to the  CCP Manual for pharmacists and CCP Manual for pharmacy technicians for more information.

Please review the following guidelines:

• Helping pharmacists and pharmacy technicians understand the Health Information Act: Privacy and confidentiality guidelines for pharmacy
• A Practical Guide to the Health Information Act (OIPC)

Refer to the CCP Audit page for more information.

Clinical pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians must

• complete at least 15 CEUs during each CE cycle,
• record all learning on one or more learning records,
• implement at least one CEU worth of learning into your practice and document this on an implementation record, and
• complete any required learning that has been assigned by the Competence Committee.

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can access all program materials through the CCP portal.

To report a forgery online to ACP, which will then be shared with other pharmacists across the province via our Forgery Alerts, click here. You will be asked to fill out the details on an online form. If you experience difficulties with the online form, you may also email details of the forgery to communications@abpharmacy.ca.

To report a forged prescription for a controlled substance to Health Canada, please visit the Health Canada webpage on Loss, Theft & Forgery.

Note: according to Health Canada, all those working with controlled substances and precursor chemicals must take proper security measures. If a theft, loss or forgery occurs it must be reported to the local police immediately and to the Office of Controlled Substances no later than 10 working days after its discovery. To learn more, visit the Health Canada webpage.

No. Pharmacy technician is a restricted title. This restriction is stated in Section 15 of the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation.

Authorization to use titles, etc.

15.1(1) A pharmacy technician and a courtesy pharmacy technician may use the words “registered” and “regulated” and may use the following titles, abbreviations and initials:

(a) pharmacy technician;
(b) pharmacy technologist;
(c) dispensary technician;
(d) dispensary technologist;
(e) Pharm.Tech.;
(f) Ph.T.;
(g) R.Ph.T.

(2) A provisional pharmacy technician may use the title provisional pharmacy technician.

A professional portfolio consists of the learning records, the implementation record, and supporting documentation that verify a registrant’s participation and completion of CEUs, including the prescribed learning activity. Your professional portfolio must be submitted annually to ACP for each continuing education (CE) cycle. For help with submitting your professional portfolio, please refer to the CCP Manual for pharmacists and CCP Manual for pharmacy technicians.

First Aid and CPR can be claimed as non-accredited learning. You can maximize your CEUs by completing more than one learning record. For example, you might do one learning record for the First Aid portion and another for the CPR portion, allowing you to claim up to 16 non-accredited CEUs.

Reporting a forgery attempt to ACP:

• promotes awareness of recent prescription forgery attempts and forgery tactics;
• helps prevent diversion of drugs, thus maintaining the integrity of the drug system; and
• helps us create a listing of forgery attempts for the calendar year, so that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have another tool to aid them in forgery detection.

Clinical pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians must complete and submit a professional portfolio to ACP to be eligible to renew their practice permit for the following registration year. They must complete a professional portfolio each CE cycle and must submit it to ACP via the CCP portal.

Yes, you may claim learning activities from any country if they are relevant to your pharmacy practice.

• Your pharmacy name, location, and city
• Date of (attempted) forgery
• “Patient” gender
• What the prescription was written for (including strengths and quantities)
• What the prescription form looked like (TPP, computer-generated, written)
• The prescriber’s name and clinic information printed on the form
• Why you suspected (or how you discovered) a forgery (e.g., signs of alteration, checked Netcare, the form appeared to be a photocopy)
• Whether or not you were able to confirm the forgery with the prescriber
• Any other relevant information

Yes, clinical pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians are required to complete the Continuing Competence Program each year. However, registrants who have been randomly selected for audit and achieved the established standard within the last five years and pharmacists who have been granted additional prescribing authorization within the last five years will not be selected for random audit. The portfolios for these registrants will only be selected for an audit if there is another reason such as a late or incomplete submission or a request from the registrar.

After registering on the Provisional Pharmacy Technician Register, you need to identify a pharmacist preceptor who will supervise and verify that you have completed 100 final checks with 100 per cent accuracy. You must complete a minimum of 20 checks per day over a maximum of a three-month period. Candidates who have successfully completed the Alberta Health Services or the Edmonton Zone Covenant Health Technician Checking Validation Procedure may submit that as proof of proficiency.

More information on demonstration of product release proficiency

A forged prescription may constitute fraud and/or theft. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have a responsibility to act ethically regarding their profession, with honesty and integrity. Reporting forged prescriptions to the police is an important step in working to decrease the number of prescription forgery attempts.

Note: according to the Health Canada Office of Controlled Substances, all those working with controlled substances and precursor chemicals must take proper security measures. If a theft, loss or forgery occurs it must be reported to the local police immediately and to the Office of Controlled Substances no later than 10 working days after its discovery. To learn more, visit the Health Canada website. 

To report a forgery to ACP, which will then be shared with other pharmacists across the province via our Forgery Alerts email blast, click here.

To report a forgery to the Health Canada Office of Controlled Substances, click here.

If you do not complete all requirements by the renewal date, you may not renew your practice permit. You will be directed to contact the ACP registration department for further instructions.

No. For an accredited course, you may combine all the learning activities represented on the course certificate and document on one learning record. For non-accredited courses, you must document each learning activity individually. You may document a maximum of eight non-accredited CEUs on one learning record. If a non-accredited course is more than eight CEUs, you must document your learning over two or more learning records.

Please contact your local police or RCMP non-emergency line, as found on their website or in your community phone directory. 

Note: according to Health Canada Office of Controlled Substances, all those working with controlled substances and precursor chemicals must take proper security measures. If a theft, loss or forgery occurs it must be reported to the local police immediately and to the Office of Controlled Substances no later than 10 working days after its discovery. To learn more, visit the Controlled Substances Compliance and Monitoring page of the Health Canada website. ​

To report a forgery to ACP, which will then be shared with other pharmacists across the province via our Forgery Alerts email blast, click here.

To report a forgery to Health Canada's Office of Controlled Substances, click here.

Yes, pharmacy technicians must maintain a minimum of $1 million of personal malpractice insurance (claims made or occurrence). The policy must be in the technician’s name. 

You do not require insurance while you are on the Provisional Register.

Yes, registrants on the associate register will have access to the Continuing Competence Program through the CCP portal. Registrants on the associate register can complete and submit a professional portfolio voluntarily each CE cycle. Completing a professional portfolio annually will prove beneficial if a registrant decides to return to an active status.

All clinical pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians must complete and submit a professional portfolio to ACP to be eligible to renew their practice permit for the following registration year. The Continuing Competence Program was designed to be applicable to registrants practising in different environments, including registrants who are not in direct patient care.

The Continuing Competence Program was designed to be applicable to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians practising in different environments, including those who are not in direct patient care. Registrants should be able to meet the requirements of the program even outside of clinical practice or during a maternity leave. What you choose to learn and implement should be based on your personal and professional learning and practice needs.

For registrants who are not in direct patient care, possible outcomes from your implementation may be:

• a transfer of knowledge, skill or ability to others (e.g., execute a health promotional activity or educational session); or
• an improvement to your organization and/or the way care is delivered (e.g., implement or propose a new or revised policy, procedure, program, or tool).

To determine what you can implement, it may help to consider the following:

• What are your learning and practice needs?
• Who can you transfer knowledge to?
• How can you affect changes in practice?

If you do not have access to patients, potential audiences for your implementation may be the people you work with, other healthcare professionals, or perhaps the general public.

No, all CEUs must be claimed and documented on learning records for a current CE cycle.

Refer to the  CCP Manual for pharmacists and CCP Manual for pharmacy technicians for more information.

Interns and preceptors must understand and accept their roles and responsibilities prior to proceeding with the SPT program. Once accepted, interns and preceptors must commit to completing the required activities and assessments as this training is a critical step for the intern to becoming a licensed pharmacist.

• The intern is responsible for completing all the program activities and seeking learning opportunities and feedback from the preceptor.
• The preceptor is responsible for supporting the intern, assessing the intern’s performance, and providing feedback. To help facilitate this, a preceptor may not have more than two interns under his/her preceptorship at the same time.
• The relationship between the intern and the preceptor should be viewed as a partnership. If there are any issues, the intern should reach out to the preceptor and/or manager so that they are aware of the concerns. If the concerns cannot be resolved at site level, we strongly recommended that the intern/preceptor contact the College.

Interns who have successfully completed Level 3 but are not yet ready or able to register on the clinical register will remain on the provisional register in a post-Level 3 status. An intern in a post-Level 3 status is required to submit a work experience notification form to ACP if working in a pharmacy.

Interns will have up until their registration expiry date to complete the remaining licensing requirements; an extension of up to 1 year on the practice permit may be granted at the discretion of the College.

If a practice permit expires and the candidate reinstates as a provisional pharmacist, the intern must start at Level 1 of the SPT program.

Refer to the  CCP Manual for pharmacists and CCP Manual for pharmacy technicians for more information.

Each level of internship must be supervised by an approved preceptor. A pharmacist registered on the clinical register may be approved to act as a preceptor if he/she:

• is a clinical pharmacist who has been registered on the Alberta College of Pharmacy’s clinical register for the past 2 years or more;
• will take action to understand the principles of the SPT program and accepts the role and responsibilities of a preceptor;
• is in good standing including the following:
• has no conditions or restrictions on his/her practice permit that will impact ability to provide a good learning experience for an intern;
• has no outstanding complaints that have been referred to a hearing tribunal;
• has not been the subject of a finding of OR is not the subject of a current proceeding related to: professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity in Alberta or any other jurisdiction in relation to pharmacy or any other health profession;
• has not been found guilty of OR is not the subject of a current proceeding related to: an offence under any Act regulating the practice of pharmacists or the sale of drugs; or any criminal offence; and
• is not in a close personal relationship with the intern (e.g., related to or reside in the same residence; business partners; any relationship that may (or may be perceived to) affect the objectivity of the preceptor.) 

Prior to starting a level of SPT, interns and preceptors are required to declare that the preceptor meets the eligibility requirements. The Alberta College of Pharmacy does not provide a pre-approved preceptor list.

Upon application, the Registrar may approve a preceptor outside of these requirements.

An intern may be required to secure an experienced preceptor, as outlined in the SPT rules . The requirements for an experienced preceptor are outlined in the experienced preceptor declaration form.

The Jurisprudence Learning Module is an online module that reviews the different federal and provincial legislations and Standards of Practice that govern Alberta pharmacy practice. The module can support an intern with preparing for practice and the ethics and jurisprudence exam.

An intern is required to complete this module prior to starting the SPT program.

• Any pharmacist who is not currently a licensee, MUST complete Parts A and B before applying to become a licensee.
• Any pharmacist who is currently a licensee MUST show evidence of completion for both Part A and Part B if they are applying to become a licensee of a new pharmacy, or if they are applying to become the new licensee of an existing pharmacy.
• Anyone who is applying to become a proprietor’s agent for a new pharmacy or an existing pharmacy MUST complete the proprietor’s self-assessment or Part B.

Section 23 of the Pharmacy and Drug Regulation outlines the information that a licensee must ensure is displayed on the pharmacy website:

• A copy (scanned is fine) of the pharmacy licence
• The location, mailing address, e-mail address and telephone number of the licensed pharmacy
• The name, pharmacist practice permit number, and business address of the licensee
• A statement that the licensee is required to provide, on the request of a patient, the name and practice permit number of any regulated member who provides a pharmacy service to the patient or who engages in the practice of pharmacy with respect to a patient
• The name and business address of the proprietor
• If the proprietor is a corporation, the name of the proprietor’s representative
• A copy (scanned is fine) of the Patient Concerns Poster

For more information, see the Manage Your Pharmacy section. 

To prepare a preceptor for his/her role, he/she should:

• Review the SPT Preceptor’s Manual and program rules; and
• Become familiar with the intern assessment form and understand the expected competencies and performance levels for an intern at each SPT level.

There are a number of tools and resources available in the SPT portal. Additionally, preceptors are encouraged to contact the Alberta College of Pharmacy should they have any questions or require any assistance with their interns.

Preceptors are also encouraged to complete preceptor training. Potential training may be available:

• through the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• online, such as UBC E-tips
• through Alberta Health Services

All interns are eligible to challenge the ACP ethics and jurisprudence exam at any time. Interns are required to successfully complete the ethics and jurisprudence exam prior to starting Levels 2 of the SPT program. Interns who enter the SPT program at Level 3, must successfully complete the exam prior to starting the program.

Anyone who is applying to become a proprietor’s agent for a new pharmacy or an existing pharmacy MUST complete the proprietor’s self-assessment or Part B.

Every licensed pharmacy requires a licensee and a proprietor’s agent as identified on the application for a pharmacy licence. The proprietor’s agent is the individual who is either the owner or the designated representative of the owner(s) who fulfils the responsibilities and obligations of a proprietor in accordance with the Pharmacy and Drug Act and has been identified and approved through a pharmacy application process (see further explanation here).

The Structured Practical Training (SPT) program is designed to support an intern’s journey to becoming a proficient, patient-centred, and outcomes-focused pharmacist in Alberta through structured practical learning experiences. The overall objective of the SPT program is to provide an intern, under a preceptor, the opportunity, resources, and support to:

1. Understand the scope of practice of Alberta pharmacists and the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians;
2. Apply his/her professional knowledge and skills to a practical setting and develop and demonstrate the entry-to-practice competencies; and
3. Identify his/her areas of strength and areas for improvement and implement learning plans to improve their practice accordingly.

Program activities and assessments are managed through the online SPT portal.

To meet the program’s objectives, an intern is required to complete each level of SPT under one preceptor and at one site. If an intern changes a preceptor and/or site before completing a level, he/she must restart the program level with the new preceptor/site; previously completed hours may not be carried over.

At the start of each level, interns are required to submit the preceptor’s registration number and the site’s license number. An intern may have a different preceptor and/or work at a different site for each level; however, it is not required for Levels 1 and 2.

Upon completing Level 2, an intern is required to find a new preceptor and a new site for Level 3 (i.e., an intern may not complete Levels 2 and 3 under the same preceptor and/or at the same site). This is to allow the intern to demonstrate proficiency to a new preceptor and at a new site prior to completing their final level of SPT.

An applicant for registration on the clinical register may attempt the ethics and jurisprudence exam only 3 times. A candidate who fails the exam 3 times may apply to the Registrar for permission for one final attempt.

The ACP’s SPT program is a learning experience of at least 1000 hours divided into three levels:

• Level 1 – minimum 450 hours
• Level 2 – minimum 450 hours
• Level 3 – minimum 100 hours

The hours listed are minimum requirements. It is expected that an intern would require additional hours to meet the program's objectives. Successful completion of each level requires an intern’s demonstration of the required competencies at an acceptable performance level and the preceptor would determine when an intern is eligible to advance to the next level of the program.

An intern or preceptor can choose to end their relationship at any time. However, if the preceptor/site is changed before completing a level, the intern must restart the level; previously completed hours will not be recognized. To meet the program’s objectives, each level of internship must be completed under one preceptor and at one pharmacy location. If there are concerns about the internship that cannot be resolved at site level, we strongly recommended that you contact the College.

• If more than 2 years has elapsed between the successful completion of the ethics and jurisprudence exam and the application for registration on the clinical register, candidates will be required to rewrite and pass the exam again prior to registering on the clinical register.
• If a practice permit expires and the candidate reinstates as a provisional pharmacist, the intern must successfully complete/rewrite the ethics and jurisprudence exam.  

Although the self-assessment tools are optional, unless otherwise directed by the competence committee, we encourage all registrants to complete an annual self-assessment.

The self-assessment section of the CCP portal contains many tools that can help you identify your learning needs, relevant implementation objectives, and plan accordingly. The college does NOT monitor or track your self-assessment results.

SPT hours must be completed in a normal work week pattern which is not less than 20 hours and not more than 40 hours per week. In case of illness or absenteeism, the intern will arrange with the preceptor to make up the missed internship time. Upon application, the Registrar may approve an alternative schedule of less than 20 hours per week.

Interns should work with their preceptors for the majority of their SPT hours since the preceptors are responsible for assessing the interns and monitoring their progress. However, interns do not need to work all the same shifts as their preceptor. If there are other pharmacists actively involved in supervising the intern, it is important that the other pharmacists understand the role and expectations of the intern and if necessary, provide feedback to the intern’s preceptor.

1. You must be in good standing with ACP, including, but not limited to
   • no conditions or restrictions on your practice permit,
   • no outstanding complaints that have been referred to a Hearing Tribunal or outstanding sanctions ordered by the Hearing Tribunal, and
   • no other restrictions on practice or requirements to submit for assessment under Section 118 of the Health Professions Act.

2. You must submit an Enhanced Police Information Check that was completed within the past six months.
3. You must complete Part A and Part B of ACP’s Licensee Education Program (LEP). This applies even if you are or were previously a licensee of a pharmacy (including if you are on maternity leave for the same pharmacy).
4. If you are or have been a registered member of a pharmacy regulatory authority or any other regulated profession in Canada in the past 10 years, you must request a letter of standing to be sent directly from the other jurisdiction to ACP on your behalf.
5. You must demonstrate you have the qualifications, experience, and/or support to fulfill the role as a licensee and are expected to meet at least two of the following attributes:
   • You have been registered on ACP’s clinical pharmacist register or as a pharmacist in another Canadian jurisdiction for the past two consecutive years or more.
   • In the past five years, you have served as a licensee or the equivalent in a Canadian jurisdiction for at least one year, without being subject to discipline proceedings.
   • In the past 10 years, you have served as a proprietor of one or more pharmacies in Alberta for at least two consecutive years, where there have been no discipline proceedings.
   • OR, if the licensee and the proprietor’s representative are different people you may use up to one of the following attributes to meet the total of two:
     • You will practise in a licensed pharmacy where, in the past five years, the proprietor’s agent has served as a licensee in Alberta for at least one year, without being subject to discipline proceedings.
     • You will practise in a licensed pharmacy where, in the past 10 years, the proprietor has owned one or more pharmacies in Alberta for at least two consecutive years, where there have been no discipline proceedings.
     • You will practise in a licensed pharmacy where the proprietor’s agent is a regulated member in good standing with ACP.

Pharmacists who register for the first time in Alberta between January 1 and June 30 do not have to complete the Continuing Competence Program before renewing their practice permit for the upcoming registration year (July 1 – June 30).

Pharmacy technicians who register for the first time in Alberta between July 1 and December 31 do not have to complete the Continuing Competence Program before renewing their practice permit for the upcoming registration year (January 1 – December 31).

You will have access to the program through the CCP portal prior to your renewal; however, any activities/records completed prior to the start of the next CE cycle will be for your own personal development and may not be used towards the next CE cycle.

When you renew your practice permit in the following registration year, you are required to complete and submit a professional portfolio to ACP. All activities included in this submitted portfolio must be completed during the corresponding CE cycle (i.e., June 1 - May 31 for pharmacists; December 1 - November 30 for pharmacy technicians).

Clinical rotations completed by students enrolled in a Council-approved Canadian pharmacy program may be deemed equivalent to Level 1 and/or Level 2 of the SPT program if the student registers in ACP’s SPT program and completes Level 3 within 1 year of graduation.

• Clinical rotations of at least 450 hours will be considered equivalent to Level 1.
• Clinical rotations of at least 900 hours will be considered equivalent to Level 1 and Level 2.

To facilitate a good learning environment, a preceptor may not have more than two interns under his/her preceptorship at the same time.

1. If you are a regulated member with ACP, you must be in good standing with ACP, including, but not limited to
   • no conditions or restrictions on your practice permit,
   • no outstanding complaints that have been referred to a Hearing Tribunal or outstanding sanctions ordered by the Hearing Tribunal, and
   • no other restrictions on practice or requirements to submit for assessment under Section 118 of the Health Professions Act.

2. You must submit an Enhanced Police Information Check that was completed within the past six months.
3. You must complete the Proprietor’s Self-Assessment or Part B of ACP’s Licensee Education Program (LEP). This applies even if you are or were previously a proprietor’s agent of a pharmacy.
4. If you are or have been a registered member of a pharmacy regulatory authority or any other regulated profession in Canada in the past 10 years, you must request a letter of standing to be sent directly from the other jurisdiction to ACP on your behalf.

Yes.  In addition to the standard list of TPP medications, veterinarians must also provide a TPP form for the following medications:

• All barbiturate preparations
• All codeine-containing preparations
• Benzodiazepines and all other targeted substances listed in Regulation under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• Tramadol
• Anabolic steroids

ABVMA policy requires that there will be no dispensing of the following products from a veterinary clinic, even if prescribed on a TPP form:

• Ketamine
• Euthanasia solutions
• Sodium pentobarbital
• General anaesthetics (e.g., propofol, halothane, isoflurane)
• Alpha -2 - agonists

Veterinarians do not require a methadone exemption to prescribe buprenorphine.

Reference: TPP Alberta – Program Guide

All restricted activities completed by the intern during the SPT program (Levels 1-3) must be under the direct supervision of the preceptor and/or another clinical pharmacist.

According to the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation:

23(1) A regulated member who consents to provide direct supervision under this Regulation must

(b) be authorized to perform the restricted activity being supervised,

(e) be present when the supervised individual is performing the restricted activity, and

(f) be able to observe and promptly intervene and stop or change the actions of the individual who is under supervision.

Restricted activities include:

• to dispense, compound, provide for selling or sell a Schedule 1 drug or Schedule 2 drug;
• to administer a vaccine or parenteral nutrition;
• to prescribe a Schedule 1 drug for the purpose of adapting an existing prescription;
• to prescribe a Schedule 1 drug if
  • it is not reasonable possible for the patient to see a health professional to obtain the prescription, and
  • there is an immediate need for drug therapy.

Post-Level 3

Interns who have successfully completed Level 3 of the SPT program but are not yet ready or able to register on the clinical register (e.g., still need to complete the PEBC exam) may work under indirect supervision, at the discretion of the supervising pharmacist. The level of supervision must be agreed upon by both the intern and the preceptor. 

Direct supervision is still required for any intern administering drugs by injection. To administer drugs by injection, the intern must have met the requirements to perform this restricted activity and the supervising pharmacist must have authorization to administer drugs by injection.

According to the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation:

23(2) A regulated member who consents to provide indirect supervision under this Regulation must

• be readily available for consultation by the individual who is under supervision and, if advisable, for providing hands-on assistance to the individual.

23(3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), a regulated member

(a) shall not consent to supervise any individual performing a restricted activity if the regulated member is not satisfied that the individual will perform the restricted activity safely and effectively.

 Before beginning the SPT program for pharmacy technicians, a learner must: 

• register on the provisional pharmacy technician register
• find a site and a preceptor
• submit a completed Pharmacy Technician SPT Notification Form to ACP, and
• receive approval from ACP to begin the program. 

For more information about program requirements, please visit: pharmacists.ab.ca/structured-practical-training-pharmacy-technicians.

Clinical pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians may access the CCP portal at any time during the CE cycle to work on their professional portfolio. When you have completed all the CCP requirements, and the college has enabled the submit button in the CCP portal, you may submit your professional portfolio. The submit button is only active during the online registration renewal period (i.e., end of April for pharmacists and end of October for pharmacy technicians).

Candidates on the student, provisional, or clinical registers may enroll in the SPT program. Internationally trained pharmacists registered on the provisional register can begin the required structured practical training program prior to sitting the PEBC qualifying exam.

A pharmacy student or intern may administer drugs by injection only when he/she:

• Has completed an accredited administering drugs by injection training program
• Has valid and current CPR and first aid certification
• Is directly supervised by a pharmacist who has authorization to administer injections

Eligibility requirements to be a preceptor for the Structured Practical Training (SPT) program for pharmacy technicians include:

• Your preceptor must be a pharmacist or pharmacy technician who has been registered with ACP for two years or more
• You must not be in a close personal relationship with your preceptor
• Your site must be a licensed community or hospital pharmacy in good standing with ACP

For more information, please visit: pharmacists.ab.ca/structured-practical-training-pharmacy-technicians.

The progress indicator on the CCP portal home page lists the three components of the competence program:

• self-assessment/prescribed activities,
• learning records; and
• implementation records.

Once you have met a component’s requirements, a checkmark should appear next to its title. You may need to log out and log back into the portal again in order for the checkmark to appear. Each component’s requirements are:

• Self-assessment/prescribed activities
  • Complete the prescribed activity assigned by the Competence Committee. 
• Learning records
  • Complete a minimum of 15 CEUs within the current CE cycle and document your learning on one or more learning records.
  • You must answer questions one through seven in the learning record for the record to be marked as complete.
• Implementation records
  • Select one completed implementation record for submission.
    • Your implementation record must be directly related to at least one CEU you completed during the current CE cycle.
  • Upload one piece of documentation that provides evidence of your implementation.
  • You must answer questions one through eight in the implementation record for the record to be marked as complete.

Once enrolled, an intern will remain in the SPT program until:

• He/she has successfully completed all three levels of the program and is registered on the clinical register; OR
• He/she ceases to be registered on the student register, the provisional register, or the clinical register; OR
• His/her practice permit has expired. When an intern initially registers, ACP grants a 2-year practice permit. If the intern is not licensed within 2 years, an extension of up to 1 year on the practice permit may be granted at the discretion of the College.

Interns must continue to practise under direct or indirect supervision until all licensing requirements are met and they have been notified by the College of their status change to a clinical pharmacist.

You may disclose health information to a police service without the individual’s consent if you believe that the information relates to the possible commission of an offence under a statute of Alberta or Canada and will either:

• Detect, limit or prevent fraudulent use or abuse of the health system (HIA S.37.1), or
• Protect the health or safety of an individual (HIA S.37.3).

The disclosure must be limited to the following information, any of which may be required by police to complete the investigation:

• The individual’s name, birth date, and personal health number;
• The nature of any injury or illness of the individual;
• The date on which a health service was sought or received;
• The location where the health service was sought or received;
• The name of any drug provided or prescribed to the individual, and the date the drug was provided or prescribed;
• Whether any samples of bodily substances were taken from the individual, or
• Information about the health provider who provided the service.

Document the disclosure on the individual’s record and keep it for at least 10 years.

Yes, these new criteria apply to prospective licensees and proprietor’s agents who wish to open a new pharmacy and apply for a new pharmacy licence. The criteria also apply to pharmacists applying to be the licensee or individuals applying to be the proprietor’s agent of an existing pharmacy.

This is a continuing competence program and we encourage you to continuously build upon your knowledge and skills. You may implement learning that was completed in a previous CE cycle; however, your implementation still needs to be tied to one CEU worth of learning completed during the current CE cycle. Therefore, if you choose to implement learning that was completed in a previous CE cycle, you just need to complete one more CEU in the current CE cycle that is related to your objective.

Interns are required to find their own practice site and preceptor that meet the criteria outlined in the program rules. The Alberta College of Pharmacy does not provide a pre-approved preceptor list. Once an intern has found a preceptor and practice site, the intern must submit the preceptor’s registration number and the site’s license number in the SPT portal to proceed with the level.

In order to successfully complete a level of SPT, the intern must have:

• Demonstrated competence,
• Met or exceeded the acceptable performance levels for all the key competencies (according to preceptor’s ratings) associated with his/her SPT level, and
• Completed the minimum number of hours required for the level.
  • An intern would typically require additional hours to demonstrate the required competencies to his/her preceptors. The preceptor(s) would determine when an intern is eligible to advance in the program.

Once these requirements are met, the preceptor may declare level completion through his/her SPT portal. Once the preceptor has declared level completion, then the level is marked as complete.

An intern who disagrees with an assessment must discuss his/her concerns with the preceptor. 

If the disagreement cannot be resolved, it must be brought to the attention of the Registrar within 30 days of the assessment. The Registrar may appoint an arbitrator to assist in the resolution of the disagreement and if necessary may appoint an alternate preceptor to reassess the student.

Yes! Check out the examples in the Competence section of our website.

Prior to starting SPT, an intern must:

1. Complete jurisprudence requirements
   1. Prior to logging in to:
      1. Level 1: an intern must complete the Jurisprudence Learning Module
      2. Levels 2/3: an intern must successfully complete the ethics and jurisprudence exam
2. Become familiar with the SPT program
   1. To prepare for SPT, an intern must review the Intern’s Manual and become familiar with the program’s rules and resources. The SPT program and its activities are managed through the online SPT portal. To log into the SPT portal, an intern would use his/her ACP registration number and password.
3. Obtain an eligible preceptor and practice site
   1. The Alberta College of Pharmacy does not provide a pre-approved preceptor list. Prior to starting a level of SPT, an intern must obtain an eligible preceptor and practice site and submit the preceptor’s registration number and the site’s license number in the SPT portal to verify eligibility. If eligible, the preceptor will be notified and he/she must log into the SPT portal and accept his/her role as the preceptor before the intern can start the level of SPT.

The preceptor is responsible for:

• Providing ongoing feedback
• Completing an assessment of the intern at midpoint and at the end of a level using the assessment tool provided by ACP
• Determining whether the intern has demonstrated competence and has met/exceeded the acceptable performance levels for the entry-to-practice competencies
• Signing off on a level of SPT by declaring level completion when the intern has:
  • Met/exceeded the acceptable performance levels for all the key competencies and
  • Completed the minimum number of hours required for the level 

1. If you have completed the Jurisprudence Learning Module, you should be able to access your Certificate of Completion by clicking the link in the bright orange banner along the top of the slide. If a Certificate of Completion is not available, it means you have yet to complete the Jurisprudence Learning Module.
2. To identify which slides have not been completed, you should click on the “progress” bar (located on the left-hand side of the module).  You will need to complete any slides that are not darkened in colour. You will have to repeat this step for each chapter.
3. If you have just completed the Jurisprudence Learning Module and have received the Certificate of Completion, you may have to wait up to one hour before you will have access to the SPT portal. Please try logging into the SPT portal at a later time.

Refer to the  CCP Manual for pharmacists and CCP Manual for pharmacy technicians for more information.

Before an intern can start a level of SPT:

1. The intern must submit preceptor and site information in the SPT portal and confirm eligibility; then,
2. The intern’s preceptor must log into the SPT portal and accept his/her role as the preceptor. Afterwards,
   • the intern will be notified by email  
   • a Start Date for the level will appear in the SPT portal
   • the intern may start on the program activities and start counting SPT hours

The main objective of the SPT program is for the intern to demonstrate and master the entry-to-practice competencies; the length of time in the SPT program is secondary. It is expected that an intern would require additional training hours to meet the program’s objectives.

To ensure a continued high standard of pharmacy practice, the preceptor must only declare level completion when the intern has met or exceeded the acceptable performance levels for the key competencies. If the situation cannot be resolved at the site level, the intern/preceptor are encouraged to contact the College.

The CE cycle is when you are required to complete the Continuing Competence Program requirements. The cycle coincides with your registration renewal deadline.

• For pharmacists, the CE cycle starts June 1 of any year and ends May 31 of the following year.
• For pharmacy technicians, the CE cycle starts December 1 of any year and ends November 30 of the following year.

We encourage you to start this annual learning process early and complete a learning record right after you complete an activity.

The program’s activities provide a guide to practical experiences used to help the intern accomplish internship goals; however, the suggested activities are not intended to be comprehensive.

The activities in the competency modules only provide a basic framework to help an intern to understand, develop, and demonstrate the competencies required at the point of licensure. The time spent on a particular competency module depends on an intern’s previous background, knowledge, and experience.

Preceptors can help the intern to determine the areas he/she needs to work and spend more time on in order to meet the acceptable performance levels. Any adjustments made to the program activities must be made at the discretion of the intern and preceptor. Any new/revised activities must support the program’s overall objectives.

At the same time, if the intern and preceptor deem the earlier activities within the program to be too simple, then the activities and/or time spent on a module may be adjusted accordingly; however, the intern would still need to complete the minimum number of SPT hours for each level. 

An intern who disagrees with an assessment must discuss his/her concerns with the preceptor. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, it must be brought to the attention of the Registrar within 30 days of the assessment. The Registrar may appoint an arbitrator to assist in resolution of the disagreement and if necessary may appoint an alternate preceptor to reassess the student.

Under the Health Professions Act, there is now a range of health professionals who can prescribe Schedule 1 drugs. Disciplinary decisions can result in the cancellation or suspension of a prescriber’s practice permit or conditions that limit or bar prescribing in whole or in part. There are also other forms of suspension which do not result from a finding of unprofessional conduct. These may include an order under section 65 of the Health Professions Act suspending a practice permit or imposing condition on a practice permit pending an investigation and discipline proceeding, or an order relating to incapacity under section 118 of the Health Professions Act. Where the college is aware of these orders, notice will be provided to the regulated members in order to allow them to ensure that

• they do not fill prescriptions from a prescription issued after the date that the prescriber’s ability to prescribe has been restricted by cancellation, suspension, or a specific condition on a practice permit that prohibits prescribing activities; and
• they carefully review any prescription issued before the date that the prescriber’s ability to prescribe has been restricted by cancellation, suspension, or a specific condition relating to prescribing. The obligation to carefully review any prescription and determine whether it is appropriate applies to every prescription, but it applies with greater emphasis where there are orders under the HPA prohibiting or restrict prescribing. This does not mean that prescriptions, issued before the date of an order prohibiting or restricting  prescribing, are invalid. It simply means that the pharmacist must pay particular attention to the pharmacist’s duties under Standard 6 of the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

Part A of the LEP has been CCCEP-accredited for six continuing education units (CEUs). Part B of the LEP has been CCCEP-accredited for four CEUs.

Basically, one hour of learning is equivalent to 1.0 CEU. You may claim to the nearest quarter of an hour for the time spent on a learning activity.

• For an accredited activity, the number of CEUs is determined by the accrediting body.
• For a non-accredited activity, the number of CEUs is equivalent to the amount of time you spend completing the learning activity. 

SPT hours must be completed at a licensed community pharmacy or institution pharmacy in Alberta. Upon application, the Registrar may approve completion of hours at alternative sites.

SPT hours may only be completed at sites that:

• operate a minimum of 20 hours per week;
• have no outstanding deficiencies resulting from an on-site assessment that was more than 30 days ago;
• have no restrictions on the pharmacy license that will impact ability to provide a good learning environment for an intern;
• have no outstanding complaints that have been referred to a hearing tribunal; and
• the intern is NOT in a close personal relationship with the licensee and/or proprietor of the pharmacy (e.g., related to or reside in the same residence; business partners; any relationship that may (or may be perceived to) affect the objectivity of the preceptor.)

Prior to starting a level of SPT, interns and preceptors are required to declare that their practice site meets the eligibility requirements. 

To ensure a continued high standard of pharmacy practice, it is important that preceptors only sign off on the completion of a SPT level when the intern has demonstrated all the required competencies. If the intern is unable to demonstrate these required competencies to a satisfactory level, then the intern should not be moving forward to becoming a licensed pharmacist. If additional support is needed, please contact the Alberta College of Pharmacy.

You may find accredited programs by visiting the CCCEP or ACPE websites. Alternatively, you may find potential accredited programs or events directly on the website of organizations that offer accredited programs, such as the following:

• Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA),
• Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA),
• Pharmacy Technician Society of Alberta (PTSA),
• Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP),
• Canadian Healthcare Network,
• rxBriefCase,
• HealtheLearning, Pear Healthcare Solutions Inc.,
• Teva Pharmacy Solutions,
• Pharmacist’s Letter, and
• Pharmacy Technician’s Letter.

Since the majority of internships are completed in community pharmacies, the program activities are tailored for community practice. If the practice site is not a community pharmacy, the intern and preceptor should work together to adjust the suggested program activities and/or establish new activities that are more conducive to the site. Any new/revised activities must support the program’s overall objectives and allow the intern to develop and demonstrate the entry-to-practice competencies.

This is not required as these records are stored electronically. However, once an intern has moved onto the clinical register, he/she will no longer have access to these records; therefore, interns may wish to print copies for their own records or for future reference. It may be rewarding to look back at personal and professional growth. 

Additionally, throughout a level of SPT, interns and preceptors will be working off of the same assessment form. This design will help facilitate the assessment process; however, this also means you will override previously selected ratings. If you wish to retain a specific version of the assessment, you would need to either print or download a copy of the assessment.