2024 Board Elections Now Open for Zone 1 & Zone 4
Voting is now open for the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board (NLPB) Zone 1 and Zone 4 elections. The elections are being held electronically through a secure, confidential elections platform.
Eligibility to Vote:
|
All eligible voters should have received an email with a secure link to their individual ballot. If you are an eligible voter and have not received this email, please contact inforx@nlpb.ca. Please note that the sender’s email address is vote@simplyvoting.com, not an NLPB address; please check your junk mail before contacting NLPB.
The deadline to cast your vote is 11:59 p.m. (NDT), September 19, 2024.
The successful candidates will be announced at the NLPB AGM on September 27.
If you have any questions, please contact NLPB at inforx@nlpb.ca.
Share Your Feedback on the NLPB Website
NLPB is updating its website, nlpb.ca, and is inviting feedback from registered pharmacy professionals, key partners, and members of the public. We encourage you to share the survey link within your network.
The NLPB website is a key resource for those seeking information regarding NLPB, pharmacy regulation, and public protection, and this information must be easy to obtain and quickly find. Your feedback will help inform updates to the design, navigation, and content of the website to ensure it is accessible.
When answering the questions, please remember that this survey is focused specifically on the NLPB website and not the NLPB Learning Portal or the NLPB Registration and Pharmacy Licensing Management System.
This consultation is being conducted using a secure online survey. Individual survey responses are anonymous and confidential.
| To access the short 5-10 minute survey, please click the link below: |
If you are unable to access the 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 to complete and submit the survey is Monday, September 2, 2024.
If you have any questions regarding the purpose of the survey or the use of survey data, please contact Julie Reddy, Director of Communications, at jreddy@nlpb.ca or (709) 753-5877 ext. 107.
We appreciate your time and look forward to your feedback.
Health Canada Implementing New Rules for Nicotine Pouches and Other Nicotine Replacement Therapies
Further to their Notice of Intent to address risks of youth appeal and access to nicotine replacement therapies, published on March 21, 2024, Health Canada has published a Supplementary Rules Respecting Nicotine Replacement Therapies Order (the Order). The Order comes into force immediately, subject to a six-month transition period in respect of some requirements and a sell-through period in some circumstances.
The Order:
- Prohibits advertising or promotion, including labelling and packaging, that could be appealing to youth.
- Requires a front-of-package nicotine addiction warning, as well as a clear indication of the intended use as a smoking cessation aid for adults trying to quit smoking.
- Requires manufacturers to submit mock-ups of labels and packages for all new or amended NRT licenses to ensure no youth appeal.
- Prohibits NRTs in new and emerging formats, such as nicotine pouches, from being sold with flavours other than mint or menthol.
- Requires NRTs in new and emerging formats, such as nicotine pouches, to be kept behind the pharmacy counter and sold only by a pharmacist or an individual working under the supervision of a pharmacist.
NL pharmacy professionals should note that:
- NRTs remain classified as Natural Health Products and are not subject to the NAPRA National Drug Schedules, adopted provincially.
- There is no obligation for pharmacies to sell nicotine pouches; however, if they do, they must be stored behind the dispensary counter and sold only by a pharmacist or a dispensary staff member to adults trying to quit smoking.
If you have any questions regarding the Order, please contact:
Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate Consultation
Health Canada, Government of Canada
nnhpd.consultation-dpsnso@hc-sc.gc.ca
Prescription Release – Verifying Patient and Agent Identity
Recently, NLPB has received concerns from several patients and their agents about the appropriate collection of information and verification of the identity of patients and agents in relation to the Prescription Release section (section 3.8) of the Standards of Pharmacy Operation – Community Pharmacy (SOPO-Community). NLPB has also received reports of impersonation, which has resulted in prescriptions being released to individuals other than patients or their designated agents.
The SOPO-Community requires pharmacy staff to obtain informed consent from patients before releasing prescriptions or disclosing personal health information to another person and such consent should be appropriately documented in the patient profile. Should pharmacies use a form to complete this documentation, the patient and/or their agent should be made aware that only one piece of identification for the agent is required and the collection of extraneous information (such as the agent’s MCP #) should be avoided.
When a patient presents to pick up their own prescription, a minimum of two identifiers should be used to confirm the person’s identity. This can be a combination of information (MCP #, address, date of birth) and/or physical identification (MCP card, driver’s licence).
If someone other than the patient presents to pick up a prescription, pharmacy staff should verify the patient’s information, confirm the identity of the agent by viewing a piece of identification, and validate that the individual is listed as an approved agent on the patient’s profile.
Pharmacy staff must not assume that because the person is able to provide identifiers for the patient that they have been granted consent to pick up the patient’s prescription. If there is ever any doubt as to the individual’s identity or their authorization to pick up the prescription, the patient should be contacted to verify.
Pharmacy Technician Bridging Program Policy
As communicated in the Summer 2024 issue of The Apothecary, the NLPB board of directors has given direction to develop a policy that will allow them to approve certain pharmacy technician bridging programs for the purposes of meeting the education requirements for being registered as a pharmacy technician. This policy is currently in development and will be presented to the board for their consideration at their next meeting in September.
If you are currently a student in a pharmacy technician bridging education program or a pharmacy assistant considering such a program, please follow NLPB on social media and check the registration section of the NLPB website in October for more information.
2024 Annual General Meeting
Friday, September 27, 2024, 3:00 pm
Best Western Plus St. John’s Airport Hotel and Suites
34 Jetstream Avenue | St. John’s
The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board is pleased to offer in-person and virtual attendance options for this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is open to all registered pharmacy professionals, so if you would like to join us, RSVP using one of the following methods:
For in-person attendance, RSVP to inforx@nlpb.ca by Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
For virtual attendance, register online using the following link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1a801368-9706-4a90-99dd-23c480523613@b4151282-3e07-4782-a45e-2c31b50d2f6f
A 20-30-minute question-and-answer period will be held, with virtual and in-person attendance options, immediately following the AGM, with an end time of 4:00 pm. This time is allotted for the board to engage with registered pharmacy professionals, key partners, and members of the public and address any questions they might have.
The 2023 Annual Report is available to view online at: https://nlpb.ca/media/Annual-Report-2023.pdf
Welcoming Michele Bowes
 |
Michele Bowes has recently joined the NLPB as the Complaints and Discipline Coordinator and paralegal to NLPB’s Director of Complaints and Discipline and general counsel, Natalie Payne.
Michele is a Litigation Paralegal with a keen interest in medicolegal matters leading to experience in medical malpractice, insurance, and personal injury defence. Michele has prepared court documents for every level of court in Canada as well as adjudication tribunals. As the Complaints and Discipline Coordinator, Michele is the initial point of contact for all complaints and discipline inquiries to NLPB. She is responsible for the due process of the complaint for the Complaints Authorization Committee’s referrals and decisions. She will support the Complaints & Discipline portfolio in working for a resolution at every stage of the process, with reason, kindness, and fairness. Michele is deeply committed to serving NLPB, registered pharmacy professionals, and the public we protect. |
Call for Expression of Interest – Quality Assurance Committee
NLPB is currently seeking a hospital pharmacist to join the Quality Assurance Committee.
The Quality Assurance Committee is a standing committee of the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board whose role is to investigate quality assurance concerns that arise about the practice of pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. In fulfilling its role, the committee may:
- Conduct investigations when concerns arise, in accordance with the duties of the committee set out in the Pharmacy Act, 2012;
- Appoint assessors to assist in investigations when necessary;
- Review findings of investigations; and
- Resolve concerns with registrants, including referring matters to the Complaints Authorization Committee when possible professional misconduct is discovered.
If you are interested, please submit your name, contact information, a brief bio, and a few lines about why you are interested in being part of the committee to inforx@nlpb.ca.
Thank you in advance for your interest in serving your profession.
IAC Seeking Applications for Public Representatives for NLPB Board and Disciplinary Panel
| If you are aware of any person who would be interested in either of the positions listed below, we encourage you to share this information. |
The Independent Appointments Commission is seeking interested public members to serve as public representatives with the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board on its Disciplinary Panel and Board of Directors.
These positions cannot be held by pharmacists or pharmacy technicians but rather by individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets who can bring patient and other perspectives. These skill sets and areas of experience include but are not limited to governance, human rights, legal expertise, ethics, conflict resolution, business or public administration, human resources, finance, or human resources.
For more information regarding the three vacant positions on the Disciplinary Panel, visit https://www.exec-abc.gov.nl.ca/public/agency/detail/?id=635
For more information regarding the vacant position on the Board of Directors, visit https://www.exec-abc.gov.nl.ca/public/agency/detail/?id=636
Regular reminders
- Scheduling Appointments with Staff – NLPB 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.
- Registrant Contact Information – Registrants are responsible for ensuring that the contact information on their registrant profile, including email address and practice site, is accurate at all times. The NLPB 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 NLPB Registrant Portal.
- Application Submission – NLPB receives many applications for processing. Unfortunately, some of the applications submitted are illegible, incomplete, or missing supporting documentation or payment, leading to delays in processing and approving the application. In order to ensure that your application is processed in a timely manner, please take a moment before submission to ensure that all fields are completed and legible and that all supporting documentation is included. All supporting documentation should adhere to NLPB’s Scanning Guidelines and Checklist for Document Submissions Policy. These small steps will help improve the process for both the applicant and NLPB.
This e-newsletter contains information on a wide variety of topics intended to enhance the practice of pharmacy in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. As it is published and circulated to all registrants on a monthly basis, it is the expectation of NLPB that all registrants are aware of the matters contained therein.
