Clearing up the confusion: Manitoba wants doctors to know more about pharmacists’ rules

The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba wants doctors to better understand what pharmacists can and can’t do under federal regulations. The college is seeking feedback on two documents, the “CPSM Standard of Practice—Prescribing Requirements” and “CPSM Practice Direction—Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions,” and one of the updates includes information on statutory requirements around pharmacists’ dispensing. “There are certain statutory rules governing dispensing of which prescribers may not be aware, at times leading to friction between the professions. These include federal rules where the pharmacist has no discretion such as certain refills, repeats, and part-fills for different drugs and controlled substances,” the request for feedback reads. The college regularly receives calls around these prescription issues thanks to confusion around M3P drugs, the regulated drugs in the province, says Dr. Marina Reinecke, medical consultant for CPSM’s Prescribing Practices Program. “It’s quite often [that there’s been] a pharmacist who identifies that a prescription is not written appropriately, and they would contact the physician,” she explains. “Sometimes the physician will just take the education from the pharmacist and correct the issue, but sometimes they have a different understanding, and they want to hear from their own college.” Read: Manitoba removes M3P special status requirement for physicians Other times, a patient might be upset that they’re not getting their medication because of an issue or a pharmacist. The college then clarifies the requirements to avoid patients waiting unnecessarily for their medicines. These aren’t formal complaints, she says, but “matters”—an issue that’s been brought to their attention that they want to resolve swiftly, usually with a phone call. If the pharmacist is incorrect, the College of Pharmacists will resolve the issue. A common issue is prescribing Tylenol #3, which is a non-M3P medication, even though it’s an opioid—but is still a CDSA drug under federal legislation, so it has a more complex system to specify repeats than other medications do. In addition to clarifying the rules pharmacists must abide follow so physicians are clear on them, the new information would also include a list of medications often involved in these issues. Read: First of two mandatory professional development webinars on Indigenous health for Manitoba pharmacy professionals now available

Clearing up the confusion: Manitoba wants doctors to know more about pharmacists’ rules

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