The PostScript Issue 112

consultation opportunity:
pharmacist-ordered laboratory tests standards

Over the past several years, the College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador (CPNL) has been working with the Department of Health and Community Services on the development of regulations and standards of practice enabling pharmacists to utilize their full scope of practice in relation to ordering laboratory tests. The Pharmacy Regulations, 2024, were amended to include Laboratory Ordering by Pharmacists on August 14, 2025. To review the amendment, visit: https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/files/NLG20250815.pdf. For more information regarding this work, please refer to the CPNL website at: https://cpnl.ca/standards-consultation-open-pharmacist-ordered-laboratory-tests/

At this time, we are inviting pharmacy professionals and other interested parties to provide feedback on the new proposed Standards of Practice.

This consultation is being conducted using a secure online survey. Individual survey responses are anonymous and confidential.

All participants are advised to review the proposed Standards before participating in the survey and make notes as necessary to refer to while completing the survey.

CLICK LINK BELOW TO complete survey

If you are unable to access the document or survey by clicking the link, copy and paste the link into your web browser’s address bar.

Please note: You can leave the survey at any time and resume later if you use the same computer and web browser as when you began the survey. If you attempt to resume the survey on another computer or using a different browser, you will have to restart the survey from the beginning.

The deadline for completing the survey is Sunday, September 14, 2025.

consultation opportunity:
New Code of Ethics

The College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador (CPNL), with the assistance of Windpharm Consulting, is developing a new Code of Ethics for the Newfoundland and Labrador pharmacy profession. As the Code of Ethics plays a central role in guiding practice, the code must be both clear and helpful to pharmacy professionals. We are inviting all CPNL registered pharmacy professionals to provide their perspective on how the Code of Ethics can effectively support their ethical practice by completing a short online survey.

This consultation is being conducted using a secure online survey. Individual survey responses are anonymous and confidential.

CLICK LINK BELOW TO complete survey

If you are unable to access the document or survey by clicking the link, copy and paste the link into your web browser’s address bar.

The deadline for completing the survey is Friday, September 19, 2025.

Your early feedback is important to inform the development of the new Code of Ethics. Please note that you will have another opportunity to provide feedback on a draft Code of Ethics in early 2026.

Thank you for your participation.

Update to Authorizations in CPNL Registrant Portal

Registered pharmacy professionals who were authorized for services that no longer require authorization should note that the record of the authorization will now appear as EXPIRED in your profile in the online CPNL Registrant Portal.

These authorizations include:

Authorization to Participate in Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment
Authorization to Serve as a Preceptor
Authorization to be Designated Pharmacist-in-Charge

Please note that the EXPIRED status does not affect your participation in the service. For more information, please refer to the appropriate standards and interpretation guides on the CPNL website.

Additional Resources
Standards of Practice for the Provision of Opioid Agonist Therapy Medications
Preceptor Requirements
Requirements to be Designated Pharmacist-in-Charge of a Pharmacy

Personal Care Home and Long-Term Care Standards of Practice Review Complete

CPNL recently invited pharmacy professionals to provide feedback on both the Standards of Practice for the Provision of Pharmaceutical Care to Long-Term Care Facilities and the Standards of Practice for the Provision of Pharmaceutical Care to Personal Care Homes. The consultation was open from March 25 to May 31, but no significant feedback was received during this time.

The review was completed with no notable changes to either standards of practice

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Resources Now Available on CPNL Website

As part of CPNL’s 2023-2026 Strategic Initiative to develop practice support guidance regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competency, and trauma-informed care, a new page has been added to the CPNL website with links to various resources. We encourage you to review the resources by clicking the link below:

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) References for Pharmacy Professionals

Verbal Orders for Controlled Drugs and Substances

As previously communicated in the July 2023 issue of The PostScript, in May 2023, revisions were made to the sections of the Pharmaceutical Services Act to allow for the implementation of the Health Canada Subsection 56(1) exemption in relation to the provincial Tamper Resistant Prescription Pad (TRPP) Program.

This amendment allows for:

Pharmacists to accept verbal prescriptions for controlled drugs and substances; and
Prescriptions for controlled drugs and substances to be transferred both within the province and between provinces.

Please note that the TRPP program remains in effect. In accordance with the legislation, all written prescriptions must still be written on the designated pad before being given to the patient or faxed to the pharmacy. Any questions or feedback on the TRPP program should be directed to the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Department of Health and Community Services, which is responsible for administering and overseeing this program.

NLCSU & CATIE Launch HIV and Hepatitis C Testing Course

On September 15, 2025, the NL Centre for Substance Use and CATIE will be launching a four-week online course designed for frontline service providers who work with people who may benefit from HIV and/or Hepatitis C testing. Participants should have a basic understanding of HIV and hepatitis C prior to beginning the course.

Course Details

Dates: September 15 – October 16, 2025
Weekly Commitment: ~1.5 hours per week for online activities
Format: Weekly online modules and quizzes, discussion board activities, and an online meeting.
Online Meeting: Thursday, October 16, 2025, from 12:00-2:00 p.m. NDT (recording available if unable to attend live.
Certificate: Participants who complete all components, including the online meeting or recording, will receive a certificate of attendance.

Course Description

This course aims to develop in-depth knowledge of HIV and hepatitis C testing technologies, approaches to testing, and the important role service providers play in reaching people with HIV and hepatitis C. Participants will explore:

The importance of testing for HIV and Hepatitis C
Available testing technologies in Canada
Strategies to support clients throughout the testing process
Barriers to testing at both the individual and system level

By the end of the course, participants will have strategies to facilitate testing, as well as support linkage to care, treatment, and prevention within their communities.

REGISTER HERE

For any course-related questions, please contact Claire Venet-Rogers (cvenetrogers@catie.ca).

NEW ismp cANADA cqi wEBINARS FOR cOMMUNITY pHARMACIES

Driving Medication Safety in Community Pharmacies Through Continuous Quality Improvement session is an innovative 60-minute webinar that will support you in creating a culture of continuous quality improvement (CQI) and share tools to empower staff to make improvements in their everyday processes.

uPCOMING dATES

September 4, 2025, 12:00-1:00 P.M. (EST)
November 20, 2025, 1:00-2:00 P.M. (EST)

Learning Objectives

Describe key concepts like Lean, Six Sigma, and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
Explain problem-solving approaches tailored to pharmacy environments through real-world case studies
Explain the essential components to building a culture of CQI within your pharmacy
Discuss options to enhance your knowledge further and lead your team to success

For more information, contact us at education@ismpcanada.ca.

Regular Reminders

Scheduling Appointments with Staff

CPNL staff are here to assist and support you. If you wish to meet with a staff member in person, please call to schedule an appointment before visiting our office. Having details regarding your inquiry will help us appropriately prioritize and prepare to answer your question if we need to collect additional information before calling you back or meeting with you. If you are unable to reach the staff person by phone, please leave a detailed message. Voicemails are regularly checked, and staff members get email alerts when a message is left on their phone line.

Keeping Contact Information Up to Date

Registered pharmacy professionals are responsible for ensuring that the contact information on their registrant profile, including email address and practice site, is accurate at all times. CPNL primarily uses email communication to send newsletters, renewal reminders, practice site assessment information, professional development audit information, calls for interest for committees, and other alerts. If the email address on file is incorrect, important information may be missed and/or disclosed to the wrong person. If your contact information changes, please update your information on file by logging into the Registrant Portal.

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