As the profession evolves, so do the ways that pharmacists can provide care to their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how knowledgeable and well-positioned pharmacists are to continue to provide clinical services. OPA believes that expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists is a positive step for health care in Ontario, by providing patients with improved access to healthcare services. It is beneficial to allow pharmacists the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to help their patients.
Scope of practice activities for pharmacists in Ontario
Today, Part A pharmacists are authorized to perform the following tasks:
- Renew or adapt prescriptions
- Prescribe certain drugs for smoking cessation
- Administer certain vaccines by injection for the purpose of treating a condition
- Administer drugs by injection or inhalation for education and demonstration purposes
- Perform procedures on tissue below the skin to support patient self-care and chronic disease monitoring
- COVID-19 Related Scope
- COVID-19 PCR and Rapid-Antigen Testing
- Administer COVID-19 Vaccinations as indicated by Ontario Regulation 107/96
But in Ontario, there is still the opportunity to do more
| AB | BC | MB | NB | NL | NS | NT | NU | ON | PEI | QC | SK | YT | |
| Initiate a prescription | |||||||||||||
| Initiating a prescription under specific conditions | |||||||||||||
| Prescribing for an interim supply | |||||||||||||
| Prescribing in emergency circumstances | |||||||||||||
| Adapting a prescription | |||||||||||||
| Renewing a prescription | |||||||||||||
| Therapeutic substitution | |||||||||||||
| Administering: parenteral and non-parenteral | |||||||||||||
| Order lab tests | P | ||||||||||||
| Interpret lab tests | P |
Adapted from NAPRA RPh Scope of Practice Tool
Scope of practice activities for pharmacy technicians in Ontario
- Administer publicly funded influenza vaccine to patients two years or older
- Perform procedures on tissue below the skin to support patient self-care and chronic disease monitoring but pharmacist interpret results
- Perform technical checks of prescription/product preparation and release
- Accept verbal prescriptions for medications that are not controlled substances
- Authorize prescription transfer except for controlled substances
- Accept delegation of a controlled act
- Provide counselling and education on matters that are not clinical/therapeutic in nature
- COVID-19 Related Scope:
- Administer COVID-19 vaccines by injection as indicated by Ontario Regulation 107/96
| AB | BC | MB | NB | NL | NS | ON | PEI | SK | QC/NT/NU/YT | |
| Develop a compounding protocol | NA* | |||||||||
| Compound drugs according to a compounding protocol | NA* | |||||||||
| Determine beyond use date | NA* | |||||||||
| Received a verbal order (except controlled substances) | NA* | |||||||||
| Perform a technical check of a new prescription | NA* | |||||||||
| Perform a technical check of a refill prescription | NA* | |||||||||
| Perform a technical check of a controlled substance prescription | NA* | |||||||||
| Transfer prescriptions | NA* | |||||||||
| Provide counseling on medical devices | NA* | |||||||||
| Provide counseling on non-clinical/therapeutic matters | NA* | |||||||||
| Conduct tests | NA* | |||||||||
| Administering | COVID-19 | COVID-19 and Influenza | COVID-19 and Influenza | NA* |
*Pharmacy Technicians are not regulated in these provinces
For more information on the scope of practice for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students please visit OCP’s resource on Legal Authority for Scope of Practice/Authorized Acts.
Disclaimer: The Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) provides this material to pharmacy professionals for informational purposes only. It is intended to provide pharmacy professionals with general guidance on different scope of practice. The information provided may not be comprehensive and does not replace professional judgement and responsibilities. It is provided without warranty of any kind by OPA and OPA assumes no responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies therein. The decision for use and application of this document is the responsibility of the user. OPA assumes no liability for such use and application or any resulting outcomes. It is the responsibility of the pharmacy professional to use professional judgment in evaluating this material in light of any relevant situational data. It is intended to supplement materials provided by regulatory authorities, and should there be any discrepancies, municipal, provincial, and federal laws, policies and guidelines shall prevail. This information is up to date as at the date of publication. Pharmacy professionals are encouraged to use other resources that are appropriate and available to them.
