Reaching the milestone of becoming a registered pharmacist or pharmacy technician is exciting for both registrants and licensees. However, before registrants are scheduled in the pharmacy, it is important to ensure all requirements have been met. There is one essential final step before registrants can practise, which is obtaining an active practice permit as a clinical pharmacist or pharmacy technician with ACP.
ACP has received inquiries from registrants who believe they are authorized and approved to practise, but have yet to be registered as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician. One such case is when a provisional pharmacist completes all requirements in the Structured Practical Training (SPT) Program and believes they are ready to practise. Provisional pharmacists who have completed their SPT still require confirmation from ACP that their application for registration to the clinical pharmacist register has been approved.
It is the licensees’ responsibility to ensure that the regulated professionals working in their pharmacies have active practice permits with ACP. This is required as per the Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies (SOLP), standard 3.5, as follows: “a licensee must ensure that each employee and each regulated member who works in a licensed pharmacy has the appropriate education, experience, training and registration required to perform the duties and responsibilities assigned to that employee or regulated member.”
Licensees can verify status by simply referring to the public register on the ACP website.
Licensees must not schedule shifts for regulated members until they have confirmed that the individual has been issued a permit to practise as a clinical pharmacist or pharmacy technician.
Please be aware that reviewing and processing of an application to the clinical pharmacist or pharmacy technician register can take at least 15 business days. ACP’s registration department manages a high volume of applications. Registrants and licensees should expect to wait 15 or more business days before the applicant is issued a practice permit. Applications that are submitted with incorrect or missing information will experience additional delays.
Both registrants and licensees should plan ahead to ensure the pharmacy has adequate staffing and supervision while new registrants wait to be registered as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician.
