On April 1, 2026, the Health Professions and Occupations Act (the HPOA) will come into force and will completely replace the Health Professions Act. This is a once-in-a-generation change to how health professions are governed and regulated in British Columbia.
This new law brings changes for all health professions, including the profession of pharmacy. Pharmacists will have new professional duties, and there will be changes to how the profession of pharmacy is regulated, to the scope of the College’s authority, and to the agencies that will be involved in establishing standards of practice and administering discipline processes involving health professionals.
The BC Pharmacy Association has prepared an information guide for members on what the new act means for the profession, how the act came about, a summary of changes, and things pharmacists should know about this new regulatory framework.
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