Pharmacy FAQ

I just received a prescription written by a pharmacist from Alberta. Do out-of-province pharmacists have prescribing privileges in B.C.?

No, out-of-province pharmacists are not recognized prescribers in BC.  Although some pharmacists may have certain prescribing privileges in their own provinces, a valid prescription in BC must be written by a “practitioner” as defined by PODSA.  Out-of-province pharmacists do not fall within this definition of a “practitioner” in BC.

Can electronic records be stored on a cloud? If yes, does the cloud need to be located in Canada?

The College does not have restrictions on cloud storage.  However, as with all records, pharmacies must ensure that data is stored and accessed in accordance with applicable privacy law.

Pharmacies that are private-sector organizations are governed by B.C.’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).  PIPA does not contain restrictions on the storage of, or access to, personal information from outside Canada.  Organizations subject to PIPA may therefore use cloud-based storage services outside Canada. Many community pharmacies will fall under this category.

Are all electronic records required to be maintained in a system that complies with the new technology requirements?

Bylaw reference: PODSA Bylaws, s.23.3(1):

23.3. (1) A pharmacy may maintain electronic records containing personal health information if the pharmacy has the equipment, software and systems necessary for the input, storage, use, protection and retrieval of records that are required to be kept under bylaws of the college or other legislation that regulates the practice of pharmacy.

Are electronic equivalents acceptable for all College-required documentation, including invoices and documentation in respect of the purchase, receipt or transfer of drugs, confidentiality forms, narcotic reconciliation records etc.?

Yes, pharmacies may keep all records required by the College in electronic format. Only records containing personal health information are required to be maintained in a system that complies with s. 23.3 of the PODSA Bylaws.  

Are all pharmacies required to comply with the new technology requirements?

Bylaw Reference: PODSA Bylaws s. 23.3(1):

23.3(1) A pharmacy may maintain electronic records containing personal health information if the pharmacy has the equipment, software and systems necessary for the input, storage, use, protection and retrieval of records that are required to be kept under bylaws of the college or other legislation that regulates the practice of pharmacy.

In addition, the detailed technology requirements are set out in s. 23.3 of the PODSA Bylaws.

A patient brought in a prescription for two drugs. The patient only wants me to dispense one of these drugs and wants another pharmacy to dispense the other drug. What do I need to do?

The process you need to follow is different, depending upon which drug you dispense.

Amoxil® dispensing (non-narcotic) - you need to return the original prescription to the patient:

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