Pharmacy Connection
Fact sheets are resources that are found on the College’s website and are intended to remind pharmacy professionals of certain aspects of practice, such as obligations under provincial and federal legislation. Two OCP fact sheets have been updated to support pharmacy professionals in identifying, managing and reporting the diversion of controlled substances through forgery.
The fact sheets have been revised to reflect that the information therein applies to all controlled substances, which are drugs listed in Schedules in the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and includes narcotics, controlled drugs, benzodiazepines and other targeted substances.
The Fact Sheet Narcotic Reporting of Forgeries and Losses is now the Fact Sheet Forgery: Management and Reporting of Fraudulent Prescriptions. It contains information to assist pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in complying with legislative requirements and summarizes the steps to take in the event of a forgery.
The information related to reporting of losses (such as theft) of controlled substances can be found in the Fact Sheet Narcotic Reconciliation and Security and in the Health Canada Guidance Document: Reporting of loss or theft of controlled substances, precursors and cannabis.
The Fact Sheet Identifying Forgeries and Fraudulent Prescriptions is now the Fact Sheet Forgery: Tips for Identifying Fraudulent Prescriptions. The suggestions and best practices have been reviewed and updated where appropriate, and are intended to assist pharmacy professionals with detecting fraudulent prescriptions by assessing the patient and the prescription. The section on steps to take if a forgery has been identified can now be found in the Fact Sheet Management and Reporting of Fraudulent Prescriptions.
These fact sheets, along with other helpful resources, can be found in the Narcotics Practice Tool on the OCP website.
As a reminder, all pharmacies in Ontario receive Prescription Forgery Alert emails from the Ministry of Health’s Drug Programs Delivery branch via the Health Network System’s ONE®Mail email service. Please be sure to look out for these notices and check them on a regular basis to stay informed.
LEGISLATION GOVERNING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: A VISUAL OVERVIEW
For complete information, including specific drug schedules, please refer to the legislation itself.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Prescription Regulation Summary Chart (Summary of Laws)
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act (NSAA) Module
