Founded in 1995, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) is an alliance of the provincial and territorial pharmacy regulatory authorities across Canada as well as the Pharmacy Services Division of the Canadian Armed Forces. NAPRA’s members regulate the practice of pharmacy in their respective jurisdictions in Canada and their primary mandate is to protect and serve the public interest.
NAPRA provides a platform for its members to discuss and take a national approach in addressing common issues in the practice of pharmacy in Canada.
MISSION STATEMENT
National leadership in the pursuit of pharmacy regulatory excellence.
VISION STATEMENT
Best pharmacy regulation, best pharmacy practice, best patient care.
VALUES
- Leadership. We provide strong, innovative and proactive leadership in the regulation of pharmacy practice.
- Excellence. We commit to quality in all of our activities to support serving the public interest.
- Integrity. We act with integrity, honesty and in an ethical manner with each other, our partners and our stakeholders.
- Respect. We recognize, consider and value the contributions and differences of others, and treat everyone respectfully. We resolve issues openly and constructively.
- Transparency. We communicate our purpose and objectives clearly. We strive for openness in what we do and the decisions we take.
- Collaboration. We value collaboration both within NAPRA and with stakeholders. We seek to build productive relationships at all levels.
VALUE PROPOSITION
As an alliance of pharmacy regulatory authorities, NAPRA’s defined value proposition includes:
- Leadership on national policy issues;
- Harmonization of standards to reinforce their credibility, dependability, and acceptance;
- A national, central point of contact for communication and engagement with pan-Canadian and international stakeholders;
- A community of practice for pharmacy regulatory authorities across Canada to address common issues and share knowledge and experiences relevant to pharmacy regulation.
Pharmacy Regulation in Canada
NAPRA’s member organizations regulate the practice of pharmacy and the operation of pharmacies in their respective jurisdictions in Canada.
Pharmacy in Canada is one of many self-regulating professions. This means that the federal and provincial/territorial governments have delegated their authority to regulate certain professions to external bodies, whereby the professions regulate themselves. As a result of this delegation of authority, certain professions, such as pharmacy, medicine and engineering, have the authority and responsibility to establish performance, technical, ethical and educational criteria to guide their profession, and to license individuals and their practice environments. They have a mandate of public protection and they protect the public by ensuring that the established licensure and performance requirements are met or exceeded and that disciplinary actions are effectuated when the standards are not met.
As a national association for the regulatory bodies for pharmacy, NAPRA’s main purpose is to serve its membership and to act as a resource for the public by providing information and guidance on pharmacy regulation in Canada.
NAPRA has a mandate from its membership to work on their behalf in certain areas such as:
- Creating national model standards and guidelines that its members can in turn adopt or adapt for use in their own jurisdictions. Harmonizing the practice of pharmacy across jurisdictions where possible facilitates the movement of pharmacy professionals across jurisdictions and promotes a consistent level of pharmacy care for patients;
- Engaging in dialogue with federal and other domestic and international government agencies and various health-related professional organizations on behalf of all Canadian pharmacy regulatory authorities;
- Administering programs such as the National Drug Schedules and Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada on behalf of its members; and
- Providing a platform to adopt a national approach in discussing common issues affecting pharmacy practice in Canada.
Complete List of Canada’s Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities and Contact Details
Annual Reports
NAPRA Governance
NAPRA’s Board of Directors is comprised of 17 members. This includes all 14 pharmacy regulatory authorities in Canada, representing their respective jurisdictions.
Board of Directors
| Director | Pharmacy Regulatory Authority |
|---|---|
| Greg Eberhart | Alberta College of Pharmacy |
| Sean Meredith | Canadian Armed Forces – Pharmacy Services Division |
| Suzanne Solven | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia |
| Kevin Hamilton | College of Pharmacists of Manitoba |
| Stephanie Connolly | Community Services – Government of Yukon |
| Barbara Harvey | Department of Health – Government of Nunavut |
| Ravan Bedingfield | Health and Social Services – Government of the Northwest Territories |
| Anastasia Shiamptanis | New Brunswick College of Pharmacists |
| Noelle Patten | Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board |
| Beverley Zwicker | Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists |
| Shenda Tanchak | Ontario College of Pharmacists |
| Manon Lambert, Chair | Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec |
| Michelle Wyand | Prince Edward Island College of Pharmacy |
| Jeana Wendel, Past Chair | Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals |
| David Cameron | – |
| David Collie, Vice-Chair | – |
| Tana Yoon | – |
| Adele Fifield | NAPRA Executive Director (ex-officio) |
