One of the changes in ACP’s new Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies is that pharmacies are no longer required to perform at least Level A compounding at their location. Pharmacies must, however, provide patients access to compounding services.
Pharmacies may meet this requirement
- by performing compounding directly in the pharmacy in accordance with compounding standards, and/or
- through an agreement with a pharmacy located in Alberta that holds a compounding and repackaging licence.
Even if a pharmacy provides onsite compounding services, it can still sign and maintain an agreement with licensed compounding and repackaging pharmacies to obtain compounded preparations that are not or cannot be made on site.
This change was introduced to offer more flexibility for pharmacy teams while ensuring patients have access to compounding services that are appropriate, safe, timely, of high quality, and prepared by regulated members with the required competence and skills in compound preparations.
Licensees: if you have chosen to not perform compounding directly in the pharmacy, you must
- Have an agreement in place with a pharmacy holding a compounding and repackaging licence. You can find appropriately licensed pharmacies in the ACP compounding and repackaging pharmacy directory.
- Notify ACP by submitting a declaration for compounding services to pharmacy@abpharmacy.ca.
These steps must be done before your pharmacy stops performing onsite compounding services.
Before you decide to stop compounding at your pharmacy, consider how this will affect patients. Once you send the declaration, your pharmacy cannot prepare any compounded products—no matter how simple. For example, if a patient needs a mix of two creams such as Hydrocortisone 1%/Ketoconazole 2% 1:1 cream, your pharmacy will not be allowed to compound it. You must either
- ask your compounding and repackaging partner pharmacy to make it, or
- send the patient to another community pharmacy that is able to compound the product.
If you decide that it would benefit the patients of your pharmacy to provide at least Level A compounding, you must meet all Level A compounding requirements in the Standards for Pharmacy Compounding of Non-sterile Preparations.
If you have sent a declaration and want to start compounding again, you can rescind your declaration by contacting pharmacy@abpharmacy.ca. Remember, if you rescind your declaration, you must ensure you meet all standards as described above.
