All regulated members are required to have specific levels of education, defined skillsets, and clear role understanding. There are corresponding restricted titles set out in Section 15 of the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation. These restricted titles convey important information to the public, indicating the qualifications of each pharmacy team member and the activities they may be able to perform. Additionally, these roles have corresponding supervision requirements to ensure effective oversight within pharmacy teams.
Always use appropriate role titles
It is important that regulated members use appropriate role titles when communicating to members of the public, other regulatory bodies, or in informal conversation.
Pharmacist is a restricted title that can only be used by individuals registered on ACP’s clinical pharmacist register. An individual registered on ACP’s provisional pharmacist register may be identified as a provisional pharmacist.
Pharmacy technician is a restricted title that can only be used by individuals registered on ACP’s pharmacy technician register. An individual registered on ACP’s provisional pharmacy technician register may be identified as a provisional pharmacy technician.
Unless individuals are registered with ACP as a provisional pharmacist or provisional pharmacy technician, they are unable to use the role title of intern. These titles indicate that the individual has completed their education requirements and is in the process of completing registration exams or the Structured Practical Training (SPT) program. Similarly, student pharmacists must be registered in an approved university program to use either pharmacy student or pharmacist student.
Supervision requirements
The use of correct titles also supports an effective oversight process, as there are legislated supervisory requirements for regulated members. Provisional pharmacists, provisional pharmacy technicians, and student pharmacists require varying levels of supervision. To ensure understanding, all regulated members are encouraged to review the supervision requirements detailed on the ACP website along with Domain 2 of the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, Domain 2 of the Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies, and the Structured Practical Training rules if applicable.
Name tags
Wearing correct name tags and using the correct role title in verbal and written communication are all important measures to support transparency about the capacity and supervisory requirements for each pharmacy team member. Overall, establishing a clear understanding of the scope of each regulated role, ensuring appropriate supervision is in place, and communicating these roles and requirements builds transparency and trust within pharmacy teams, with other healthcare professionals, and with the public.
Use of “specialist” and “specialty” not permitted
Use of the terms specialist and specialty, and any terms that imply either, is restricted by the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Profession Regulation and the Pharmacy and Drug Regulation.
ACP Council has not established requirements or criteria to use either term. Therefore, their use is not permitted with respect to practice or the licensing of pharmacies.
This means that pharmacists may not call themselves specialists, and pharmacies may not use specialty as part of their pharmacy name or in promotions.