This spring is particularly memorable for pharmacists in British Columbia. March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month and is an annual reminder of the incredible care pharmacists across the province and Canada as a whole provide to their patients.
Throughout March, the Association highlighted some of the many pharmacists who are making a difference in all parts of the province on our social media platforms. And this edition of The Tablet shares with all members the pharmacists chosen to receive recognition through the Association’s Pharmacy Excellence Awards program. Each of these recipients was nominated by their peers and applauded by their patients.
Since joining the Association 14 years ago, I have always said one of the best things I had the pleasure of doing each year was advising award recipients that they had been selected, and subsequently attending the Awards Gala and learning about each of these committed pharmacists. Please take the time to read the profiles of each award winner, and I encourage you to reach out to them to congratulate them on their selection.
As April arrived, it ushered in the most fundamental change to the regulation of health professionals in the province that has ever happened. The Health Professions and Occupations Act came into force, replacing all legislation governing health professionals and bringing with it an end to the self-regulation of health professionals in the province.
The loss of professional self-regulation has happened in other professions in Canada and in other countries, but this change in B.C. is a once-in-a-generation one. The new HPOA changes the structure of the regulatory Colleges, how College Board members are selected, and also removes the process for review of complaints and disciplinary actions away from Colleges to a separate entity.
These extensive changes follow a 2018 report by regulation expert Harry Cayton, who had been tasked to review concerns about regulator oversight in the dentistry profession. As we have seen, this led to a broader review and a multi-year transition to the new regulatory regime.
Everyone supports ensuring patients receive the best and most professional care from anyone they encounter in the delivery of health-care services, and health professionals deliver the best care when they are well-trained and guided by clear standards.
It will take time to understand the full effect of these changes. This is why it’s important for the BCPhA to have a robust and productive working relationship with the College of Pharmacists. Our collective teams will always find ways to share information and serve the interests of patients in B.C.
Geraldine Vance
Chief Executive Officer
BC Pharmacy Association