It is the licensee’s responsibility to proactively prepare for a temporary or permanent pharmacy closure.
There are a number of steps the licensee must be prepared for in any scenario where a pharmacy must close, even temporarily, including
- notifying patients to inform them
- of the closure,
- how to access their records after the pharmacy has closed, and
- where they can obtain pharmacy services;
- facilitating patient care;
- managing pharmacy records responsibly;
- disposing of drugs (if applicable); and
- notifying ACP.
The Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies require the licensee to develop a documented plan to ensure continuity of patient care in the event of planned or unplanned pharmacy closures or a loss of records or access to records.
ACP has developed the Pharmacy closure plan as a tool to help licensees or temporary pharmacists in charge (TPIC) prepare for instances when a pharmacy may need to close. This tool will help plan for how patients will be notified, how they can obtain their prescriptions and access their care records, how these records will be transferred and kept secure, and more.
As a reminder, the period for which a pharmacy may operate without a licence under the direction of a TPIC is now 60 days. If conditions cannot be met to obtain a new licensee in that timeframe, this is one example of when a pharmacy closure would be required.
The licensee should consider all of the “what if” scenarios that may impact the pharmacy—from the absence of a licensee, to renovations, to staff sickness, to minor flooding—there are a number of scenarios that may require a planned or unplanned closure. As per the standards, it is the licensee’s responsibility to be prepared, and resources like the Pharmacy closure plan are there to help.
