Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

204Chapter 8 – Profession of Dental Hygieneasserted that the educational standards are insufficient to support therequest; however, some were unwilling to do so for the record. 51 HPRAC’sown research found sufficient indications to support those assertions.Accreditation requirements do not require pharmacotherapeuticcoursework as a central part of educational programs, as HPRACdiscovered in its review of dental hygiene accreditation standards.Dental hygienists in Alberta are authorized to prescribe a limited number ofclasses of Schedule 1 drugs for the purpose of treating oral health conditions,providing prophylaxis and treating emergencies. They are also authorized tocompound, provide for selling or sell, incidentally to the practice of dentalhygiene, a Schedule 1 drug or Schedule 2 drug. 52 The classes include:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)antibiotics,antifungal agents,anti-infective agents,antiviral agents,bronchodilators,epinephrine,fluoride,pilocarpine, andtopical corticosteroids.The CRDHA has developed a bridging course for its members wishing toperform this new authority. The CRDHA course, Elements of Prescribing: APharmacy Refresher Course for Dental Hygienists, is a non-accredited postgraduatecourse that took three years to develop. 53 The course content wasdeveloped in collaboration with the Alberta College of Pharmacists and alicensed dentist. The CRDHA also consulted with educators from theUniversity of Alberta and other educators in the United States in finalizingthe curriculum.This refresher course is a self-study program with the use of an online tool.Students enrolled in this course have up to six months to complete theprogram and take the exam. 54 Upon successful completion of this course,the individual then applies to the CRDHA for a prescriber identificationnumber. To date, 40 students have enrolled and are expected to finish thecourse in January 2009.The CDHO has stated that only those dental hygienists who have taken thenecessary pharmacological training to perform the authorized acts safelyand effectively would be authorized to do so. The CDHO also said that itwould need to establish one or more standards of practice for theperformance of the authorized act in consultation with the CPSO, theRCDSO and the Ontario College of Pharmacists. As well, the CDHO expects51Ibid.52Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation, Alta. Reg. 255/2006, s. 13(1).53Personal communication with CRDHA Deputy Registrar Stacie Mackie. December 17, 2008.54Personal communication with CRDHA Registrar Brenda Walker. December 16, 2008.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009