On April 1, 2018, the College’s amendments to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws, which incorporate the new pharmacy ownership requirements approved by the Provincial Government in 2016, came into effect.
Key Changes to PODSA made by the Provincial Government included:
- Distinguishes between “direct owners” and “indirect owners”
- Broadens the meaning of “pharmacy” and “pharmacy licence”
- Harmonizes requirements and processes for issuing, renewing and reinstating a pharmacy license
- Sets eligibility requirements to hold a pharmacy license
- Establishes a new Application Committee to review licence applications that do not meet the requirements of the Act and bylaws
- Adds requirements for direct owners, indirect owners and managers to provide a Criminal Record History
- Requires direct owners, indirect owners and managers to comply with duties under the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act and Health Professions Act
- Requires direct owners, indirect owners and managers to give notice to the Registrar if certain events occur
Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act BylawsReview the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws which incorporate the new pharmacy ownership requirements. Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws
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Based on the pharmacy ownership bylaws, the College implemented a new pharmacy licensure process which involved identifying all pharmacy owners and determining their suitability for pharmacy ownership. Through the new requirements and licensure process, the College is now able to hold pharmacy owners accountable for providing safe and effective care by ensuring their pharmacies are compliant with legislative requirements for pharmacies in BC.
A year-long transition period began starting with pharmacies whose licences whose licences expired on June 30, 2018 which enabled the College to collect initial information from previously unidentified pharmacy owners.
The College recognized that a significant amount of work was required from pharmacies collecting this information and appreciated their patience and understanding during the implementation of the new requirements.
| License Expiry | # Pharmacies Due | #Direct Owners | # Pharmacies completed before deadline | #Pharmacies Late |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2018 | 77 | 69 | 68 | 9 (11.7%) |
| July 31, 2018 | 78 | 66 | 61 | 17 (21.8%) |
| Aug 31, 2018 | 82 | 69 | 58 | 14 (17.1%) |
| Sep 30, 2018 | 98 | 73 | 82 | 16 (16.3%) |
| Oct 31, 2018 | 209 | 102 | 186 | 23 (11.0%) |
| Nov 30, 2018 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 1 (1.6%) |
| Dec 31, 2018 | 144 | 91 | 142 | 2 (1.4%) |
| Jan 31, 2019 | 84 | 78 | 70 | 14 (16.7%) |
| Feb 28, 2019 | 310 | 226 | 283 | 27 (8.7%) |
| TOTAL | 1144 | 835 | 1021 | 123 (10.8%) |
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Of 1456 licensed |
78.6% |
Pharmacies with renewals due on June 30, 2018 were the first to complete the new requirements. Since then, as of February 28, 2019, 1143 licensed pharmacies have gone through the renewal process under the new ownership requirements, representing over 78% of the total number of pharmacies in the province. The College has also identified 835 Direct Owners of these pharmacies.
Resources
To assist pharmacy owners and managers with the transition, the College developed a number of resources and reference materials.