Founded in 1995, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) is the alliance of the provincial and territorial pharmacy regulatory authorities across Canada as well as the Canadian Forces Health Services. 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
Pharmacy regulatory excellence.
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, with our partners, and with all other interested parties.
- 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 within NAPRA, with our partners, and with all other interested parties. We seek to build productive relationships at all levels.
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 its behalf in certain areas. These include:
- 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.
List of Canada’s Provincial and Territorial 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 Forces Health Services |
| Suzanne Solven | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia |
| Kevin Hamilton | College of Pharmacists of Manitoba |
| Noelle Patten | College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Ravan Bedingfield | Government of Northwest Territories – Department of Health and Social Services – Professional Licensing Office |
| Barbara Harvey | Government of Nunavut – Department of Health |
| Stephanie Connolly | Government of Yukon – Community Services – Professional Licensing and Regulatory Affairs |
| Lindsay Mell | New Brunswick College of Pharmacists |
| Beverley Zwicker (Chair) | Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists |
| Shenda Tanchak | Ontario College of Pharmacists |
| Manon Lambert | Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec |
| Michelle Wyand (Vice Chair) | Prince Edward Island College of Pharmacy |
| Jeana Wendel | Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals |
| David Collie (Past Chair) | – |
| Debbie Fischer | – |
| Adele Fifield | NAPRA Executive Director (ex-officio) |
| TBD | – |