Pharmacy Technicians on the Road to Regulation Focus on ...

professional practice
Did You Know?
Jessie Dufour, R.Ph. and Nadia Sutcliffe, R.Ph.
Did You Know? is a regular feature in <strong>Pharmacy</strong> Connection. It’s a series of quick pointers reminding
pharmacists and technicians of their legal and practice obligations from an inspector’s perspective, aimed at
focusing on issues and incorporating best practices into Ontario pharmacies.
DID YOU KNOW …
… that the Point of Care sign should be displayed in
such a way that it can be viewed from outside the pharmacy?
The main entrance or window are good locations.
… that the Regulations under the DPRA require that
no food be kept in the fridge where medications are
stored? All food and drink for consumption must be stored
in a separate fridge.
… that, as a designated manager, you are responsible
for ensuring that all stock in the pharmacy, dispensary
and front shop, is checked regularly for expiry dates?
… that maintenance of the pharmacy is important and
can affect how the public perceives the professionalism
of the pharmacist? If the dispensary and front shop
are cluttered, messy and disorganized, this could lead to
health and safety issues, as well as increasing the potential
for dispensing errors. Refer to the article, “Maintaining
a Professional Workplace Environment” in the January/
February 2007 <strong>Pharmacy</strong> Connection.
…that plans for building a pharmacy within a medical
clinic must allow for a physically separate space between
the dispensary and the clinic? The square footage
of the medical clinic is NOT included in the total square
footage of the pharmacy. Only the portion of the premises
which contains the dispensary (within the enclosure)
will be considered. The space must be continuous and
inaccessible to anyone other than dispensary staff. Please
refer to Guidelines for Subdivided Pharmacies on the OCP
website.
April 25, 2010
20 pharmacyconnection • May/June 2010