Neither the Pharmacists Regulation nor the College’s standards, limits and conditions for prescribing differentiate compounds versus non-compounds when it comes to prescribing. The compounded medication must be in the drug category specified in the regulations.
According to Standard 10 of the HPA Bylaws Schedule F Part 8 – Making a Diagnosis and Prescribing Standards, Limits and Conditions:
“A pharmacist must review or conduct a patient assessment to support their diagnosis and/or prescribing decisions. The assessment must include the following as feasible and applicable, but is not limited to these factors…”
MedSask is available to registrants as a clinical reference tool only. It is important to note that the medSask materials may not reflect the standards, limits and conditions set out by the College of Pharmacists of BC, or the requirements set out in the Pharmacists Regulation or the Ministry of Health’s Pharmacare Policy Guide. The Pharmacists Regulation sets out which conditions pharmacists may prescribe for, and the Schedule I drug categories pharmacists may prescribe for those conditions, which may be different than the medSask guidelines.
The College does not require pharmacists to obtain additional liability insurance if they choose to diagnose or prescribe for minor ailments or contraception. Questions regarding liability coverage for the provision of PPMAC services should be directed to your insurance provider.<
Under section 4(1)(a.2) of the Pharmacists Regulation, pharmacists can:
“for the purpose of treating a disease, disorder or condition diagnosed under paragraph (a.1), prescribe a drug that is
Under section 4(1)(a.1) of the Pharmacists Regulation, pharmacists can:
“make a diagnosis identifying, as the cause of the signs or symptoms of an individual, a disease, disorder or condition that is shown in Column 1 of Schedule A, if all of the following conditions are met:
(i) the disease, disorder or condition, in the form indicated by the individual's signs and symptoms,
(A) presents a low risk of masking an underlying disease, disorder or condition, and
Access to CareConnect is not a mandatory requirement for providing PPMAC services.
Standard 9 of the College’s Making a Diagnosis and Prescribing Standards, Limits and Conditions states:
“Prior to prescribing a drug, a pharmacist must obtain relevant drug therapy information, which may include a review of:
According to Standard 16 of the HPA Bylaws Schedule F Part 8 – Making a Diagnosis and Prescribing Standards, Limits and Conditions:
“Only a full pharmacist may perform the restricted activities of making a diagnosis or prescribing a Schedule I drug and may only do so for the purposes set out in the Pharmacists Regulation”.
Yes. As of June 1, 2023, section 3 of the Pharmacy Operations General Regulation specifies that a pharmacist who is authorized to prescribe a drug may be a direct or indirect owner of a pharmacy. When prescribing, pharmacy owners must continue to act in accordance with the:
Having the legislated authority to prescribe for minor ailments does not mean all pharmacists will offer or provide this service. Patients are encouraged to speak to their pharmacist to find out what healthcare services they offer and whether they are right for their needs.