MedSTEP NL Program – Reporting Medication Incidents and Near Misses
The deadline to begin reporting medication incidents and near-miss events to the National Incident Data Repository (NIDR) was July 1, 2024.
Pharmacy professionals are reminded that any medication incidents that reach the patient need to be reported anonymously to the NIDR and should be documented fully in pharmacy records. Please refer to Appendix B of NAPRA Model Standards of Practice for Continuous Quality Improvement and Medication Incident Reporting for a list of levels of harm.
To determine if a near-miss event should be reported to NIDR, please refer to your pharmacy’s policies and procedures for medication incident reporting and Appendix A of NAPRA Model Standards of Practice for Continuous Quality Improvement and Medication Incident Reporting.
NLPB will aim to begin sharing aggregate data within 6 months of program implementation or as soon as enough data is available.
Documenting Prescription Pick-up
Pharmacy professionals are reminded that policies and procedures must be in place to ensure that prescription pick-up information is transmitted to the Pharmacy Network in real time as pick-ups occur. This applies to all prescriptions, including those for medications that are often batch-filled such as methadone. It enables drug utilization reviews to be performed accurately and ensures the data integrity of the patient’s personal health information.
Per section 3.8 d) of the Standards of Pharmacy Operation for Community Pharmacy, “There must be an auditable record confirming prescription release that includes the date and time the prescription was released and the name of the person to whom it was released. Prescription pick-up information must be communicated to the Pharmacy Network at the time the medication is released so that patient medication profiles within the electronic health record are accurate with respect to dispensing history.”
NDS: Final Recommendations for Desloratadine for Use in Children 2 to 11 Years
The interim recommendations made by the National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee (NDSAC) on June 2, 2024 that:
- Desloratadine and its salts and preparations in products labelled for use in children aged 2 to 11 years, in package sizes containing greater than 35mg of desloratadine, remain in Schedule III
- Desloratadine and its salts and preparations in products labelled for use in children aged 2 to 11 years, in package sizes containing no more than 35mg of desloratadine, be granted Unscheduled status
were finalized effective July 23, 2024. Final approval of the interim recommendations was made by NAPRA’s Board of Directors. In this case, NAPRA did not receive any comments during the 30-day consultation period. The National Drug Schedules will be revised accordingly.
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.0.
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
Invitation to Apply for NAPRA’s National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee
The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) is inviting applications to fill one vacancy on the National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee (NDSAC). Interested individuals with expertise in pharmaceutical regulatory affairs at the provincial/territorial are encouraged to apply by submitting a completed application form, a resume or CV, and a letter of recommendation to ndsac@napra.ca (to the attention of Sarah ter Huurne) no later than August 2, 2024.
For more information regarding this position, visit https://www.napra.ca/reminder-invitation-for-applications-for-napras-national-drug-scheduling-advisory-committee/
Background
NDSAC is a NAPRA committee that advises NAPRA on matters relating to the National Drug Schedules (NDS) program. The primary function of the eight-member committee is to review and analyze submissions regarding scheduling placements for non-prescription drugs and to make recommendations for scheduling.
For more information on the NDS program, visit NAPRA’s Website or contact NAPRA staff by email at ndsac@napra.ca or by phone at 613-569-9658 ext. 237.
DEADLINE EXTENDED: NDS Modernization Project Consultation
The deadline to submit feedback on this phase of the National Drug Schedules (NDS) Modernization Project has been extended to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, on July 31, 2024.
The NDS Modernization Project is a multi-phased, multi-year project. The purpose of this phase of the project is to set one of the foundational pieces of the program, namely, to determine the most appropriate drug scheduling model for the future NDS program, including updating conditions of sale.
Following preliminary engagement with select groups of experts, NAPRA has developed a consultation package that outlines further information related to two proposed non-prescription drug (NPD) scheduling models and their associated conditions of sale for consideration for the modernized program.
To download the consultation package (available in English), click here.
To submit feedback, use this link to a Microsoft Forms document. Only provide comments using this link, which will allow NAPRA to organize and synthesize your comments in a timely and efficient manner. If you are participating in this consultation on behalf of an organization, please submit only one response per organization.
Should you have any further questions or concerns regarding this consultation, please contact ndsmodernization@napra.ca.
Scheduling Appointments with NLPB 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. |
Regular reminders
- 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.
