Speak up: Ontario regulator wants to hear about pharmacists' experiences with clinical services targets

The Ontario College of Pharmacists has announced plans to launch a survey on pharmacists’ experiences with mandated targets on certain clinical services, including those “that might conflict with their professional and ethical duties to patients.”The college said in an email to registered members and e-newsletter subscribers that it’s also planning a series of virtual town hall, to be run by an independent third-party provider.“The college has heard from pharmacy professionals about feeling pressured to perform certain services,” wrote the college. “These steps are part of our work on one of our key goals: ensuring that pharmacy professionals' health, well-being, and adherence to standards and ethical practice are not compromised by business demands.”The survey, which is set to start the week of March 4, comes amid a growing number of media stories of pharmacies imposing quotas on clinical services. In mid-February, Pharmacy Practice + Business ran a story on this issue based on interviews with numerous pharmacies, including some who said they were under threat of getting their work hours reduced if they failed to meet their targets.Read: Between a 'quota' and a hard place: Many pharmacists tell us they increasingly face mandatory targets on clinical servicesOn Feb. 28, CBC News reported that some Shoppers Drug Mart staff—driven by corporate pressure—were billing for unnecessary medication reviews.The Ontario government has since pledged to probe potential abuses of its MedsCheck program. Provincial Health Minister Sylvia Jones also said Shoppers Drug Mart is conducting an internal investigation.In a February 8 email to Pharmacy Practice + Business, an OCP spokesperson said one of the strategic priorities for the college is to ensure “pharmacy business practice do not compromise the health and wellbeing of pharmacy professionals” or impede their ability to the adhere to the profession’s practice standards or code of ethics.Read: Like no other: New pharmacy residency program has unique focus on team-based ambulatory care and chronic disease management“Subsequently, this is a growing area of focus for the college and will involve analyzing data from a range of sources that include assessments and complaints as well as voluntary information collected from registrants during annual renewal,” stated the email. “This will help the college better understand how business practices in the pharmacy setting may impact pharmacists’ ability to provide safe and quality care, as well as to gauge their perceived level of burnout.”The college said it plans to discuss the outcomes of its survey and town halls at its next board meeting in March. Read: Test program lets patients of two family doctors and one psychiatrist get care from pharmacy team for certain conditions

Speak up: Ontario regulator wants to hear about pharmacists' experiences with clinical services targets

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