Maintaining your Drug Administration Certification During the COVID-19 Pandemic Apr. 16, 2020

MAINTAINING YOUR DRUG ADMINISTRATION CERTIFICATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Pursuant to section 43(4) of the HPA Bylaws, in order to maintain certification for drug administration by injection and intranasal route for immunization, a practising pharmacist must hold valid certificates in both first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a Board approved program specified in Schedule C of the HPA Bylaws.  These courses are to be taken in-person and in Canada.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting physical distancing requirements, in-person first aid and CPR courses are no longer available. As a result, some providers are extending certification expiry dates.

If your certification is expiring soon, please confirm with your first aid and CPR provider (some listed below) whether your existing certification has been extended and look at the timelines for future in-person training sessions. 

If your provider has offered an extension, please retain written proof of the extension. Proof can be demonstrated through: 

• Printed guidance from a provider’s website (a screenshot is acceptable); 
• Email correspondence from a provider or instructor; or 
• A reissued certificate with the new expiry date.

Some common first aid and CPR providers include:

• Canadian Red Cross
• St. John Ambulance

Practising pharmacists certified to administer drugs by injection and intranasal route, are required to hold a valid first aid and CPR certification, and are responsible for ensuring that these certifications remain up-to-date, including at the time they recertify as part of their registration renewal application. This is a self-declaration and there is no requirement to submit documentation to the College, however, practising pharmacists should retain supporting documentation in a readily retrievable manner.

If your first aid and CPR certification has expired and you are unable to obtain written proof that your certification has been extended, you must not administer drugs by injection or intranasal route. Once you have completed your first aid and CPR recertification, you must contact the Registration Department before beginning to administer drugs by injection or intranasal route again.

Questions 

For additional questions regarding drug administration certification, please contact the College’s Registration Department at [email protected].