Pharmacists in Ontario are now legally required to ask patients for identification and record personal information when dispensing narcotics and other controlled substances; however, the rollout of this new regime to curb medication abuse has not been a smooth one.
The new requirements under Ontario's Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act, 2010, came into effect November 1, 2011. They also require physicians and dentists to ask for appropriate ID when prescribing controlled medications and the patient must show the same piece of ID to the pharmacist when filling the prescription.
The goal of the legislation is a good one, says Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA) executive director Dennis Darby, but the implementation has been difficult — in part because the logistics associated with following the rules haven't been completely ironed out. The OPA has been flooded with questions from pharmacists about how to make the rules work and the provincial government doesn't yet have all the answers.
“Everyone is going through growing pains,” Mr. Darby says. “People are still struggling with some of the issues about patient identification, such as what is required when family members pick up medications or when drugs are delivered. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a lot of promotion of the rules by the government.”
The lack of promotion has meant that some patients have balked at the ID requirements, he says. Meanwhile, the OPA is holding discussions with the government and with the other professional associations in an effort to confirm all the scenarios, particularly for deliveries or when a delegate picks up the drugs.
Computerized database still several months away
Another issue is that the planned computer system to allow electronic tracking of prescriptions won't be in place until at least the spring of 2012. In the interim period, prescribers and pharmacists must complete and store paper records — information that will not be transferred into the computerized database when it's operational.
“Once we have the electronic system in place, it will be a lot easier,” says Mr. Darby. “Collecting information manually is very difficult. Pharmacists are carrying a huge burden in trying to make this work. At the end of the day, they're the ones at the point of transaction.”
The OPA asked the government to give health professionals more time to get the proper systems in place before it begins to enforce the new regulations.
The Ministry of Health and Long-term Care says the new rules are preceding the computer system to allow pharmacists and physicians to take part in a “dry run” of the program. Some pharmacists have questioned the wisdom of going ahead with the rules without the database, but Mr. Darby says he doesn't have a problem with that decision.
“At the end of the day, getting patients, prescribers and pharmacists all used to asking for this information — despite the clumsiness of it, I think it's a good idea. It is a burden on everybody but if this helps make the actual electronic rollout easier and if it helps prevent anyone from diverting these drugs or abusing them, it's probably worth it.”