The Alberta College of Pharmacy’s (ACP) Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians (SPPPT) and Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies (SOLP) have been around since 2007. Sure, they’ve been tweaked here and there with amendments to adapt with the changing pharmacy landscape; but the time had come to completely re-do the standards.
When ACP Council created the college’s five-year strategic plan (2021-25), the second goal stated: “There is a modern and relevant framework to regulate pharmacy practice.” As part of this goal, a key objective for ACP was to develop standards that are “current, relevant, clear, concise, and appropriately balance inputs, processes, and outputs.”
Council provided direction to the ACP team to draft new SPPPT and SOLP not only to support regulated members in providing care in the present healthcare landscape, but to “future proof” the standards, enabling pharmacy teams to successfully navigate what lies ahead for themselves and Albertans.
“It is a lot to balance,” said ACP Council president Patrick Zachar, who presided as president when the standards were approved. “A great deal of work on the part of many people went into developing the standards to ensure that they are current for 2024—that they reflect how many pharmacy professionals are practising today—and will serve us for the foreseeable future. The world of health care is an ever-changing landscape. But I think in this set of standards, there’s more flexibility to ensure that we can continue to grow.”
Council gave the ACP team guiding principles to provide direction for environmental scanning, research, and development of the new standards. Each time Council reviewed a draft of the new standards, they would measure against the guiding principles to ensure the work was going in the right direction.
“Council provided a first-line sense of what the impact of these new standards might be,” said Patrick. “Council has an excellent balance between the profession itself with our regulated members on Council, but also the public members who are there. Our initial review was a litmus test of sorts to make sure we were on the right track and that our guiding principles were addressed properly.”
Included in the process to develop new standards were a review by a panel of regulated members, followed by a broad consultation of regulated members, academic institutions, interested parties, and members of the public. Feedback was collected, analyzed, and, in some areas, applied to subsequent drafts of the new standards. These final drafts were reviewed, debated, and approved by Council in June 2024, and will take effect February 1, 2025.
The new standards have a much different look and feel compared to ACP’s current standards. The new standards are divided into domains, with person-centred care at the heart of both the SPPPT and SOLP. Within each domain are outcome standards, which describe what the regulated member looks to achieve with each aspect of practice. They contribute to understanding “why,” and ultimately what is to be achieved. Outcome standards are supported by descriptive standards, which provide regulated members with direction about how to achieve the outcome. The focus, for every new standard, is the patient.
“The world of health care has really shifted away from defined and specific processes and instead seeks to look at the patient as a whole,” said Patrick. “The services that come from any health profession, including pharmacy, should be intended to address the desired outcome, not just to produce a product or to follow a process. These new standards address more than just prescribing or filling a prescription. We are aiming to support the health interests of our patients. Within the new standards, it was important to help regulated members see what I believe many of them are already doing—being person centred and not just focusing on prescriptions.”
While person-centred care is at the core of the standards, professionalism and leadership is an overarching domain that influences the standards as a whole.
“The intent was to enhance regulated members’ understanding about the responsibility and accountability that goes with the privilege of providing health care to Albertans,” said Patrick. “Regulated members should see themselves as leaders who are going to help grow a culture of accountability in their practice sites. These standards recognize that pharmacy professionals are leaders and collaborators in their work environment and not just following someone else’s direction. There is a desire to have them elevate their own perspective and their individual accountability.”
After several years of research, development, review, revisions, and now two approved sets of standards ready for implementation, Patrick feels confident that ACP’s new standards will serve Albertans and regulated members well.
“I’m pleased with the new standards, from the perspective of being a regulated member on Council,” said Patrick. “These new standards continue to move regulated members to focus on the individual as a whole and focus on patient well-being and outcomes. The format also allows the standards to be easily read and understood by more than just regulated members, but also the public. The previous standards were overdue to be updated, and these standards will provide us with a launching point for the next few years as we continue to elevate our practices and improve the health of Albertans through quality pharmacy services.”
With the February 1, 2025, implementation date approaching, Patrick and Council hope that regulated members familiarize themselves with the new standards as much as possible between now and then.
“Council’s expectation is for regulated members to avail themselves of the opportunity to read this material, have a conversation with colleagues about it, and seek clarification from ACP in the months between now and when they come into effect,” he said. “I hope they are inspired to understand the standards well, deliver them well, and live within the standards in the spirit with which they were intended.”
