New plans approved to support strategic goals.
The following priorities for 2019 were approved by Council, in support of ACP’s 5 strategic goals.
- Implement Standards for Compounding – Council has approved a progressive schedule for implementing new standards for sterile and nonsterile compounding. The standards will soon come into effect for all new pharmacies. In 2019, at least 90% of pharmacies that compound sterile products will be assessed for compliance with priority 1 and priority 2 requirements.
- Standards for Laboratory Testing (including Point of Care) – new standards for using laboratory information, ordering laboratory tests, and providing point of care testing have been consulted on and are pending approval. They will come into effect upon being approved and communicated to registrants. In 2019, mentoring and monitoring for compliance will be incorporated into practice consultant monitoring procedures.
- Educating Pharmacy Licensees – Council has approved a model program for educating pharmacy licensees about their roles and responsibilities, including skills for success. In 2019, a first version for all new pharmacy licensees will be piloted, rules for the program approved, and an implementation plan completed. Work will begin on a program for existing licensees and proprietors.
- “Professionalism” will continue to be socialized with all registrants through all communication with ACP. The college will begin incorporating “tenets of professionalism” in all of our documents; at least one of which will be completed by the end of 2019. Our goal is to better support the continuing cultural and professional shift to improved “person-focused” experiences at every pharmacy encounter.
- All policies and procedures for admitting international pharmacy graduates (IPG’s) to practice will be reviewed; and Council will consider alternatives to be more confident that IPG’s are qualified and able to practice successfully in Alberta at entry to practice.
Additionally, during 2019, ACP will
- expand and reconfigure our current office space to meet future needs,
- implement a new information management system that will support administration of our core programs, and provide better knowledge generated through our programs for better decision-making, and
- reorganize our website content to make it more usable by registrants, the public and stakeholders.
These will inform our business plan and budget for 2019. In 2020, one of Council’s priorities will be development of its next 5-year plan (2021-2025).
