Administration of Injections Program
Program overview
Registration
Accredited Online Pre-Study Program
Location and workshop dates
First aid and CPR information
Waiver information
FAQs and other injection training resources
Injection Authority Updates
Thank you letter from Healthy Living and Sport Minister Ida Chong
Following the July 2009 announcement about regulatory changes under the Health Professions Act giving B.C. pharmacists the legal authority to administer injections, BCPhA began working with the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC), Ministry of Health Services and BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) on the development, accreditation and implementation of the training program.
Administering injections is not mandatory, but members are encouraged to consider the advantages of this unique opportunity that will ultimately serve the greater good by improving patient care for all British Columbians.
Accredited Administration of Injections Program - study components
BCPhA launched the online pre-study component of the Accredited Administration of Injections Program in September 2009.
The first component, Immunization Competency Program for BC Health Professionals, comprises 15 modules, assigned 7.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP), and takes approximately eight hours to complete.
Pharmacists must achieve at least 70 per cent on the pre-study test prior to being enrolled in the practical workshop.
The second component, Practical Administration of Injections for BC Pharmacists, is a full-day, live workshop facilitated by a Registered Pharmacist and a Registered Nurse and including practical training in administering subcutaneous, intradermal, and intramuscular injections. Pharmacists must successfully administer an intramuscular and a subcutaneous injection to receive certification of completion for the workshop.
To be granted authority to administer injections by the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC), a pharmacist must submit the following certifications: CPR; first aid; and completion of both Injections Program components. Applications for the legal authority to administer injections will be reviewed by CPBC as they are received and qualified applicants will be notified of their authorization. Pharmacists must receive authorization from CPBC prior to providing injection services.
Workshops have been taking place since October 2009 with venues in the lower mainland, Kelowna, Prince George, and Victoria. By the summer of 2010, over 600 pharmacists had successfully completed the BCPhA Accredited Administration of Injections Program.
Additional workshops will be held in the Fall of 2010. For more information, email RxAdministeringInjections@bcpharmacy.ca.
Registration for injection training program
Registration for the BCPhA Administration of Injections Program is temporarily closed. Details about future workshop dates and venues will be posted as they become available.
Online pre-study training program
Going forward, the online pre-study training portion of the Administration of Injection Training Program will be maintained by the BC Center for Disease Control (BCCDC), subsequently the pre-study program is being migrated to a new server and is currently unavailable.
BCPhA remains in communication with the BCCDC to encourage a timely server migration. The BCCDC expects to have the online portion running in early September. BCPhA Administration of Injections workshops will begin shortly after the online component becomes available, and details of future workshop dates and venues will be posted in due course. We appreciate your patience during this server migration.
Injection training resource list (PDFs)
Get your first aid and CPR certification now
Pharmacists who are planning to participate in the Accredited Administration of Injections Program must have current certification in first aid and CPR in order to be granted authority to administer injections by the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC). Even if you successfully complete both the online pre-study and live workshop components of the training program, CPBC will not grant authorization to administer injections without these important certifications. If you have already registered or plan to register for the program, please take time now to ensure your certifications are up to date and, if not, make necessary provisions to update them.
The first aid and CPR requirements for authorization to administer injections are set by the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC). For information, please check the CPBC website, http://www.bcpharmacists.org/about_us/key_initiatives/index/articles70.php.
Once registrants have successfully fulfilled CPBC requirements, they may apply to CPBC for authorization to administer injections. First aid and CPR certification are not requirements for registration in the Accredited Administration of Injections Program, but are a requirement of CPBC.
What the Waiver of Liability means to you
Do you know what it means to sign the Waiver of Liability Agreement when you register for the Accredited Administration of Injections Program? It means you are agreeing to the condition that the BCPhA-sponsored personal professional liability insurance policy (issued by Grain Insurance) will not cover the authorized pharmaceutical service of administration of injections during the training program, but will provide coverage once you have received authorization from the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC) to perform injections. The insurance policy cannot apply during the training period and until the authority by CPBC is issued to the pharmacist. Once authority is granted by CPBC to the pharmacist, the insurance policy will cover that practice. Pharmacists are not required to notify Grain of this authorization.
Hep B shot reminder
In addition to obtaining first aid and CPR certification, pharmacists planning to administer injections should also get their hepatitis B vaccination. Administering injections creates the potential for blood and body fluid exposure. The risk of developing HIV from exposure needle stick injury is less than one per cent, but the risk of contracting hepatitis B and C can be as much as seven per cent.
Injection Authority Updates
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting expansion of pharmacy practice, BCPhA provides regular email updates on the Accredited Administration of Injections Program and related issues.
A full 2010 archive of these updates is available here.
Locations and dates of workshops
Workshops have been taking place since October 2009 with venues in the lower mainland, Kelowna, Prince George, and Victoria. Details about future workshop dates and venues will be posted as they become available.