Close Your Pharmacy

Temporary Closure

Per the College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador’s (CPNL) Code of Ethics, pharmacy professionals must provide patients under their care with access to medications, pharmacy services, and medication records, when needed or requested. As a temporary closure of community pharmacies has the potential to have a significant adverse impact on patients, pharmacists-in-charge are expected to explore all possible options for the pharmacy to remain open and continue to provide patients with safe, quality care. However, there are circumstances when a temporary closure of the pharmacy is required.

Planned Temporary Closure

A temporary closure is permitted without surrendering the pharmacy licence where a pharmacist staff member requires a leave of absence and the pharmacy owner or pharmacist-in-charge is unable to find sufficient relief staff to support continued operations.

In the case of a planned temporary closure, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to submit an application to CPNL not less than 30 days before the planned closure.

Unplanned Temporary Closure

In emergency situations, a temporary closure is permitted for up to 90 days without surrendering the pharmacy licence. These situations may include sudden illness of the pharmacist, severe weather conditions, physical damage to the pharmacy, or public health emergencies.

In the case of an unplanned temporary closure, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to submit the application to CPNL as soon as possible.

If the closure exceeds 90 days, the pharmacist-in-charge must contact CPNL to discuss the next steps, as the pharmacy will have to be permanently closed and the licence must be terminated. The pharmacy may be able to reopen in the future under a new pharmacy licence.

Application

If you have determined that a temporary closure of the pharmacy is required, you may apply through the CPNL’s online pharmacy portal by following the steps below.

Click Pharmacy Portal in the Portal Login menu at the top right of the webpage.
Log into your account and, if more than one pharmacy profile is linked to your account, click the Select button next to the appropriate pharmacy profile.
Click the Temporary Closure Application link on the side menu.
Click the Start button under the Temporary Closure Application table.
Follow the instructions to submit the application.

Completed applications must be submitted at least 90 days before relocating the pharmacy and may take 7-10 business days to process once all required documentation and fees are received. Applicants will be notified by email once a decision has been made.

Pharmacists-in-charge must notify CPNL before reopening the pharmacy.

Pre-Closure Requirements

When a temporary closure of a pharmacy is required, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to take steps to reduce the impact on patients.

Make alternate arrangements by consulting with prescribers and other members of the healthcare team, pharmacies in nearby communities, and NL Health services to determine alternative options to medication access and delivery of health services in the following circumstances:
Provision of services to personal care homes.
Provision of specialized compounding services.
Provision of opioid agonist maintenance treatment services.
Where the pharmacy is the only one in the community.
Manage prescription pickups.
Notify patients who have prescriptions ready to pick up before the closure.
Cancel prescriptions not picked up before the closure in the pharmacy’s practice management system and the electronic health record to allow the patient to access the medication at another pharmacy.
Post notice of closure at the dispensary and the front entrance of the pharmacy for the duration of the closure. The notice must include:
the scheduled or anticipated start and end dates of the closure; and
additional information such as an emergency phone number or location of the nearest pharmacy, to promote access to pharmacy services.
Permanent Closure

Pharmacists-in-charge and pharmacy owners who intend to permanently close their pharmacy must submit an application to terminate the pharmacy licence no less than 30 days before the planned closure date. The following information must be submitted as part of the application:

The date of closure (the first full day that the pharmacy will be closed)
The name of the pharmacy to which patient records (both physical and electronic) will be transferred.
The plan for the disposition of drug inventory.

Application

If you have determined that the pharmacy will be permanently closing, you may apply through the CPNL’s online pharmacy portal by following the steps below.

Click Pharmacy Portal in the Portal Login menu at the top right of the webpage.
Log into your account and, if more than one pharmacy profile is linked to your account, click the Select button next to the appropriate pharmacy profile.
Click the Permanent Closure Application link on the side menu.
Click the Start button under the Permanent Closure Application table.
Follow the instructions to submit the application.

Pre-Closure Requirements

When a pharmacy is permanently closing, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to take steps to reduce the impact on patients.

Notification of closure:
Notify all patients as soon as Permanent Closure Application has been approved and give patients the opportunity to have medications refilled and picked up and/or transferred to another pharmacy of their choosing.
Post notice of closure in the pharmacy in an area visible to the public, including the date of the closure and the name and address of the pharmacy where patient records will be transferred.
Notify other healthcare providers in the vicinity or who regularly collaborate with the pharmacy team.
Notify the Pharmacy Network team at Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services to facilitate disconnection to the Pharmacy Network and retrieval of associated equipment.
Notify third-party payers, including the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP).
Advise all registered pharmacy staff to update their employment information in the CPNL Registrant Portal.
Transfer of patient records:
Facilitate the secure transfer and ongoing accessibility of patient records, both electronic and physical, to a pharmacist-in-charge at another pharmacy.
Should the pharmacist-in-charge be unable to arrange for another pharmacy to take possession of patient records, they should consult the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and CPNL staff regarding an appropriate solution.
Arrange for the disposition of all prescription and non-prescription drugs:
Controlled substances may be:
returned to the licensed dealer who sold or provided them;
sent to a licensed dealer who is licensed to destroy the substances pursuant to a written order; or
transferred to another pharmacist who does not have a notice of restriction issued in their name by Health Canada and who is in good standing with their provincial or territorial regulatory body, and both pharmacists must sign a record of transfer and complete an inventory of the substances, and keep a record of the inventory for a minimum of 2 years.

post-Closure Requirements

Upon closure of the pharmacy, the pharmacist-in-charge is required to:

Ensure all signs and symbols related to the practice of pharmacy are removed and/or no longer used, including:
interior and exterior signage;
photographs must be taken and sent to CPNL office as proof of removal
any branded paper documents such as receipts and labels, packaging, etc.; and any physical or digital advertisements.
Notify the Office of Controlled Substances of removal or transfer of controlled substances within 10-days of the closure by completing a Pharmacy Closure Form
A copy of this form and the inventory count must be sent to CPNL.

Additional Resources

Temporary Pharmacy Closure Policy
Pharmacy Closure Interpretation Guide

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