Earlier this year, ACP announced a new continuous quality improvement program for pharmacy teams, CQI+. As the deadline for implementation grows closer, ACP’s pharmacy practice consultants (PPCs) have found that some pharmacy teams haven’t started yet. Getting ready for CQI+ will take time, with teams needing to select and implement an incident reporting platform that meets ACP’s technical requirements, in addition to other training and conversations that need to take place. All pharmacies who have not yet done so should start preparing today.
To support pharmacy teams, the PPCs have begun distributing a new resource that can help you and your team start talking about CQI+. The one-page handout briefly covers key advantages of the new program and is a great way to start a discussion with your fellow pharmacy team members if you haven’t already. Communication and collaboration are key components of the safety culture every pharmacy needs.
The resource focuses on four key advantages of the program:
- Person-centred – CQI+ emphasizes person-centredness through creating a safety culture that gives patients opportunities to participate in the quality improvement process.
- Proactive – Pharmacy teams will be empowered to take proactive steps to improve safety in their practices.
- Learning-focused – By contributing incident reports to a national database, the focus will be on learning when errors occur rather than assigning blame.
- Modern – Incident management software will help pharmacy teams document and analyze their practice incidents and close calls, streamlining their quality improvement activities.
The new resource, and all the information you need about CQI+, are available now at abpharmacy.ca/cqiplus. Remember that all Alberta pharmacies must implement the program by February 1, 2026.
You can also check out the April 2025 edition of Full Scale to learn more about CQI+ and how it came to be, or the series of Link articles on the five key activities of the program: Prevent, Respond, Analyze, Improve, and Communicate.
