Amendments to the Drug Schedules Regulation (DSR), including Pseudoephedrine, are now in effect.
In June 2018, the College Board approved housekeeping amendments to the Drug Schedules Regulation (DSR) under the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act (PODSA) to improve its alignment with the National Drug Schedules developed by the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) as well as the Prescription Drug List made under the Food and Drugs Act and the Schedules to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The amendments came into effect on June 28, 2018.
Scheduling Pseudoephedrine
As part of these housekeeping amendments, the College scheduled Pseudoephedrine to improve alignment with the National Drug Schedules. Pseudoephedrine was scheduled on the National Drug Schedules in 2006; however, it had not yet been scheduled in BC’s DSR.
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Health Canada determines whether a drug must be sold by prescription only, or can be sold over the counter (non-prescription status). Provincial regulatory authorities can further restrict the conditions of sale of non-prescription products, however, these conditions cannot be less stringent than those put forth by Health Canada. Typically, for those drugs determined by Health Canada to be non-prescription, most provincial pharmacy colleges schedule by reference to the National Drug Schedules. In BC, the Board considers the recommendations in the National Drug Schedules, but is not obligated to follow them. Nevertheless, most amendments to BC’s DSR are based on recommendations in the National Drug Schedules. |
As of June 28, 2018, Pseudoephedrine, and its salts and preparations, are now listed on the DSR as Schedule II for single entity products, and as Schedule III for combination products. This scheduling is consistent with the National Drug Schedules.
The College recognizes that these amendments came into effect faster than usual, and that operators may not have had as much advance notice as they are accustomed to. In addition, implementation of these changes may require removal of products from unlicensed premises. However, as the changes are now in effect, the College expects registrants to work toward implementing them in a timely manner.
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Full list of changes to the Drug Schedules Regulation - June 2018
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