College Expands Practice Review Program into Hospital Pharmacies
Building on the success of the Practice Review Program (PRP) in community practice, the College of Pharmacists of BC is launching its second phase which focuses on Hospital Pharmacy Practice Settings.
The practice reviews conducted by the program involve an in-person review of both a pharmacy professional’s practice and the pharmacy in which they work. The program is designed to protect public safety by improving compliance with College Bylaws and Professional Practice Policies, and ensuring consistent delivery of pharmacy services across BC.
“It is important to be able to assess the ability of pharmacy professionals to practice safely in both community and hospital settings. The Practice Review Program allows the College to do this and is a key tool in protecting public safety.”
- Bob Nakagawa, Registrar, College of Pharmacists of BC
Every pharmacy and pharmacy professional will be reviewed to ensure they meet College standards. The Program’s multi-year time frame allows for all pharmacies and pharmacy professionals currently practicing in BC to be reviewed on a cyclical basis.
Pharmacy managers, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will receive advanced notice of an upcoming review, as well as areas that the College will focus on during the review. All components of practice reviews are based on College Bylaws and Professional Practice Policies.
Pharmacies and pharmacy professionals are reviewed independent of one another and are subject to different evaluation criteria based on their practice setting and registration type. The Pharmacy Review is based on the College’s previous inspection process which focuses on legislated physical requirements of a pharmacy and the responsibilities of a pharmacy manager. The Pharmacy Professionals Review is grounded in a series of focus areas identified by the College Board as having the most impact on public safety.
The Practice Review Program was introduced in February 2015, emphasizing a more comprehensive approach to assessing pharmacy professionals’ compliance with the standards and policies set by the College in their own practice settings.
The data collected through the program will also help the College identify trends in areas of compliance and non-compliance. PRP Insights articles already play an important role in using identified trends from practice review results to provide additional guidance to pharmacy professionals. The data collected may also assist the College in identifying areas for bylaw and policy modernization.
Since implementation, the College has reviewed over 349 community pharmacies and over 949 pharmacy professionals.
Pharmacy Professionals are given the opportunity to provide feedback after the review process in an anonymous online survey. Most pharmacy professionals reviewed in community practice settings have reported a positive impact on their practice and increased familiarity with the College’s bylaws and policies.
“The current Practice Review is a great means for assessing compliance with current legislation, standards, and expectations for pharmacies and regulated pharmacy professionals in BC.”
- Practice Review Survey Respondent
Learn about what to expect and how to prepare for your practice review at: bcpharmacists.org/prp