OCP to require pharmacy directors to declare business requirements won’t get in the way of patient care

Amid ongoing concerns over corporate pressures, the Ontario College of Pharmacists is set to implement a new declaration requirement for pharmacy directors, affirming that they won’t let business requirements get in the way of providing safe and effective care.“Pharmacy directors will soon be required to declare and certify that neither they nor their corporate directors are allowing business requirements to impede a pharmacy professional’s ability to provide effective and safe care to their patients,” the college said in a message to pharmacy directors on Nov. 22.This requirement is set to take effect in 2025 and will apply to all pharmacist directors seeking new pharmacy accreditations, as well as director liaisons. The college says more details about the rollout of the new declaration “will be communicated in due course.”“The College has zero tolerance for business practices that compromise the ability of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to deliver safe and effective care to their patients. The addition of this declaration is part of our commitment to take steps to address corporate pressures that get in the way of pharmacy professionals’ ability to make decisions in the best interests of their patients,” the OCP said in a statement to on Tuesday to Pharmacy Practice + Business.Angeline Ng, vice-president of professional affairs at the Ontario Pharmacists Association, says this new declaration requirement is a “helpful signal that the College is taking necessary steps to enforce their zero-tolerance position statement.”“Addressing the issue of workplace pressures will likely require a multi-faceted approach, but requiring this attestation is a good reminder of our ethical duty to always prioritize quality patient care as pharmacy professionals,” she told Pharmacy Practice + Business in an email on Friday.Over this past year, the college has been doing more to crack down on corporate or franchise pharmacies applying pressure on pharmacists to reach volume and revenue targets, often at the expense of safe and effective care. According to an OCP survey last summer, some of these corporate pressures include pharmacists being directed to reach quotas for professional services, such as MedChecks, or being pushed to complete tasks within a limited timeframe.Back in March, the OCP introduced a zero-tolerance statement for “business practices that impede pharmacy professionals’ ability to deliver effective care.” In June, the college’s corporate pressures hotline was launched, allowing pharmacists and pharmacy techs to anonymously report instances of corporate objectives interfering with patient care.

OCP to require pharmacy directors to declare business requirements won’t get in the way of patient care

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