As part of the upcoming changes under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), the drug programs department is updating its quality assurance work. The department has always aimed to support prescribers in the complex and challenging work of prescribing opioid, sedative, stimulant, and other psychoactive medications, as well as other medications with potential for misuse, diversion, and harm.
Currently, the Prescription Review Program reaches out to registrants whose prescribing practices are flagged as falling outside of accepted guidelines.
Going forward, all registrants who prescribe opioids, sedatives, stimulants, or other potentially harmful medications will have the opportunity for a review of their prescribing profiles through a rotational quality assurance review process. The intention is for each prescriber to receive one review per multi-year cycle. The review aims to identify ways in which prescribers can proactively improve their own practice and to offer the tools and education to support this.
These changes are designed to align with the new requirements outlined in the HPOA. CPSBC’s quality assurance efforts are collegial, remedial, and educational. The overarching purpose of this work is to enhance the quality and safety of care provided to patients and to maintain quality of care for prescribing in BC.
Further details about the quality assurance review process will be shared on CPSBC’s website and in future issues of the College Connector.
Resources
CPSBC has a range of reports and resources that can be provided on request to offer additional insights into a registrant’s prescribing patterns. Registrants are encouraged to review their own prescribing profile as they contain useful information that might assist with treatment decisions.
Drug programs staff are available to answer questions at drugprograms@cpsbc.ca or 604-733-7758 ext. 2629.