Continued Care Prescriptions Regulations
Regulation- Registration
- R-077-2008
- Source
- Unofficial consolidation PDF (justice.gov.nt.ca)
- Under
- Pharmacy Act
This is an unofficial reading copy parsed from the Department of Justice consolidation PDF above — itself an office consolidation, not an official statement of the law. The authoritative text is in the Revised Statutes of the Northwest Territories, 1988 and the annual Statutes volumes.
- s.1 amended by R-034-2020,s.2
- s.1 amended by R-071-2020,s.2
- s.2 amended by R-071-2020,s.3
- s.4.1 amended by R-071-2020,s.4
- s.5 amended by R-034-2020,s.3
- s.5 amended by R-071-2020,s.5
- s.6 amended by R-034-2020,s.3
- s.6 amended by R-071-2020,s.6
- s.7 amended by R-071-2020,s.7
- s.8 amended by R-071-2020,s.7
- s.9 amended by R-071-2020,s.7
- None.
The Commissioner, on the recommendation of the Minister, under section 46 of the Pharmacy Act and every enabling power, makes the Continued Care Prescriptions Regulations.
In these regulations,
"Chief Public Health Officer" means the Chief Public Health Officer as defined in the Public Health Act; (administrateur en chef de la santé publique)
"continued care prescription" means a prescription issued by a pharmacist under subsection 20(5) of the Act; (ordonnance pour soins continus)
"controlled substance" means a substance included in Schedule I, II, III, IV or V of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada); (substance désignée)
"original prescription" means a prescription issued by a practitioner that is the basis for a continued care prescription; (ordonnance initiale)
"prescribing practitioner" means the practitioner who issued an original prescription. (praticien prescripteur) R-034-2020,s.2; R-071-2020,s.2.
(1) A pharmacist may issue a continued care prescription to a patient if
(a) the pharmacist has a record of the original prescription on file at the pharmacy where the pharmacist practices;
(a.1) the pharmacist has determined that there is no quantity remaining on file under the original prescription;
(b) the prescription is for treatment of a chronic or long-term condition; and
(c) the patient has an established stable history with the prescribed drug and there have been no recent changes to the prescribed dosage of the drug.
(2) The amount of drug prescribed in a continued care prescription must not exceed the lesser of
(a) the amount identified in the original prescription; or
(b) the amount required for one month of treatment based on the dosage prescribed in the original prescription.
R-071-2020,s.3.
A pharmacist shall not issue more than one continued care prescription for each original prescription.
A pharmacist who issues a continued care prescription shall
(a) notify the prescribing practitioner of the continued care prescription within 24 hours; and
(b) maintain a record of the continued care prescription, including a reference to the identifying number of the original prescription.
(1) A pharmacist may transfer a continued care prescription, other than a continued care prescription for a controlled substance, to another pharmacist within the Northwest Territories if
(a) the transferring pharmacist has a record of the original prescription on file at the pharmacy at which the transferring pharmacist practices; and
(b) there is a shortage of the prescribed drug at the pharmacy at which the transferring pharmacist practices.
(2) A pharmacist who fills a prescription transferred under subsection (1) must
(a) notify the transferring pharmacist within 24 hours that the prescription has been filled;
(b) maintain a record of the prescription, including a reference to the identifying number of the original prescription; and
(c) notify the prescribing practitioner within 24 hours that the prescription has been filled.
R-071-2020,s.4.
(1) Sections 6 to 9 apply if
(a) the Minister has, under section 32 of the Public Health Act, made an order declaring a state of public health emergency to exist in the Northwest Territories; and
(b) the Chief Public Health Officer considers it reasonably necessary to take actions to ensure access to drugs and medication and to protect the public health.
(2) Sections 6 to 9 apply for the duration of the circumstances referred to in subsection (1), including any extension of an order referred to in paragraph (1)(a).
(3) Sections 2 to 4 do not apply for the duration of the circumstances referred to in subsection (1), including any extension of an order referred to in paragraph (1)(a). R-034-2020,s.3; R-071-2020,s.5.
(1) A pharmacist may issue a continued care prescription, other than a continued care prescription for a controlled substance, to a patient if the pharmacist
(a) has a record of the original prescription on file at the pharmacy at which the pharmacist practices; and
(b) the pharmacist has determined that there is no quantity remaining on file under the original prescription.
(2) The amount of drug prescribed in a continued care prescription issued under subsection (1) must not exceed the amount required for 90 days of treatment based on the dosage prescribed in the original prescription.
(3) A pharmacist who issues a continued care prescription under subsection (1) shall
(a) notify the prescribing practitioner of the continued care prescription within 24 hours; and
(b) maintain a record of the continued care prescription, including a reference to the identifying number of the original prescription.
R-034-2020,s.3; R-071-2020,s.6.
(1) A pharmacist may, in accordance with this section and subject to the terms and conditions of the exemption referred to in paragraph (a), issue a continued care prescription for a controlled substance if
(a) doing so is permitted by an exemption under section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) that allows pharmacists to prescribe, sell or provide a controlled substance to patients ;
(b) the pharmacist
(i) is satisfied with the results of a self-evaluation of their knowledge, skills and competence in respect of prescriptions of controlled substances, and
(ii) believes, following a thorough assessment of the patient’s profile in the pharmacist’s database, that it is in the best interests of the patient to issue a continued care prescription;
(c) the pharmacist has a record of the original prescription on file at the pharmacy at which the pharmacist practices; and
(d) the pharmacist has determined that there is no quantity remaining on file under the original prescription.
(2) For greater certainty, a pharmacist is not required to issue a continued care prescription under subsection (1) if the pharmacist is of the opinion that their self-evaluation is not satisfactory.
(3) A pharmacist who issues a continued care prescription under subsection (1) shall not substitute a therapeutic drug for the controlled substance originally prescribed.
(4) The amount of a controlled substance prescribed in a continued care prescription under subsection (1) must not exceed the lesser of the following:
(a) the amount authorized by the original prescription;
(b) the amount required for 14 days of treatment based on the dosage prescribed in the original prescription.
(5) A pharmacist who issues a continued care prescription under subsection (1) shall
(a) provide the patient with information respecting
(i) the dangers of prescription overdose,
(ii) storage of the controlled substance prescribed,
(iii) prohibitions on the sharing of medications, and
(iv) the availability of naloxone in the case of overdose;
(b) notify the prescribing practitioner of the continued care prescription within 24 hours; and
(c) maintain a record of the continued care prescription, including a reference to the identifying number of the original prescription.
R-071-2020,s.7.
(1) A pharmacist, an employee of a pharmacy or a person under contract to a pharmacy may, in accordance with this section and subject to the terms and conditions of the exemption referred to in paragraph (a), deliver a controlled substance prescribed under section 7 if
(a) doing so is permitted by an exemption under section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) that allows pharmacists or individuals acting on behalf of pharmacists to deliver controlled substances; and
(b) the controlled substance is delivered to
(i) the patient, or
(ii) an individual authorized by the patient to accept delivery of the controlled substance on the patient’s behalf and who is responsible for the patient’s care.
(2) Delivery of a controlled substance under subsection (1) may be made to a patient’s home address or to another address specified by the patient.
(3) A pharmacist who intends to deliver or arrange for delivery of a controlled substance under subsection (1) shall confirm
(a) the name of the individual who is to accept delivery of the controlled substance; and
(b) the address at which the individual referred to in paragraph (a) will accept delivery of the controlled substance.
(4) For greater certainty, an individual named under paragraph (3)(a) may be either the patient or an individual authorized by the patient to accept delivery of the controlled substance on the patient’s behalf and who is responsible for the patient’s care.
(5) A pharmacist may, for any reason, decline to deliver or to arrange delivery of a controlled substance.
(6) On delivery of a controlled substance under this section and before transferring control of the substance, the person making the delivery shall confirm that the person taking control of the substance is the person referred to in paragraph (3)(a). R-071-2020,s.7.
(1) A pharmacist may, in accordance with this section and subject to the terms and conditions of the exemption referred to in paragraph (a), transfer a continued care prescription for a controlled substance issued under section 7 to another pharmacist within the Northwest Territories if
(a) doing so is permitted by an exemption under section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) that allows pharmacists to transfer a prescription for a controlled substance;
(b) the transferring pharmacist has a record of the original prescription on file at the pharmacy at which the transferring pharmacist practices; and
(c) there is a shortage of the prescribed substance at the pharmacy at which the transferring pharmacist practices.
(2) A pharmacist who fills a prescription transferred under subsection (1) must
(a) notify the transferring pharmacist within 24 hours that the prescription has been filled;
(b) maintain a record of the prescription, including a reference to the identifying number of the original prescription; and
(c) notify the prescribing practitioner within 24 hours that the prescription has been filled.
R-071-2020,s.7.