The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. This milestone marks the organization’s continued commitment to providing the best possible support to its members – the pharmacy regulatory authorities (PRAs) in Canada – as they pursue their primary mandate of protecting and serving the Canadian public interest through effective pharmacy regulation in their respective jurisdictions.

Alliance of Canadian Pharmacy Regulators

Founded in 1995, NAPRA is the alliance of all the provincial and territorial PRAs across Canada as well as the Canadian Forces Health Services. NAPRA has since played the lead role in bringing together Canada’s pharmacy regulators – providing them a vital forum of exchange, collaboration, and support – and serves as a focal point for the dynamic voices of Canada’s pharmacy regulation at the national level. It delivers value to its members by developing and supporting resources collectively identified as being important to successful pharmacy regulation, informing policy and strategy development, and providing context and leadership on future pharmacy and regulatory directions.

Harmonized National Drug Scheduling Model

At the organization’s inception, NAPRA’s members endorsed a proposal for a national drug scheduling model which would align the provincial/territorial drug schedules so that the conditions of sale for non-prescription drugs would be more consistent across Canada. Thus was born the National Drug Schedules (NDS) program, a harmonized national model which all of the provinces and territories, except Quebec, have adopted in some manner. NAPRA manages the NDS program on behalf of its members, including program administration and coordination of drug scheduling reviews by the National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee. As the organization looks ahead, it has begun a multi-phase, multi-year NDS Modernization Project with the aim of updating the program to best meet the needs of the healthcare system into the future.

Central Point of Contact for International Pharmacy Graduates

Another core program which NAPRA manages on behalf of its members is the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada for International Pharmacists (Gateway), established in 2014 as a central point of contact for international pharmacy graduates (IPGs) who want to be licensed to practise pharmacy in Canada. Gateway provides IPGs licensing information, guiding them through each of the steps in the process, a diagnostic tool and learning modules, and a centralized document repository. Gateway has served over 34,000 registrants in its nearly 11 years of existence, playing an invaluable role in facilitating a streamlined process for NAPRA members, IPGs, as well as all other interested parties. We would be remiss if we did not highlight here Gateway’s now completed Pilot Program to Prepare for Practical Training (P4T) (2019-2022) launched with the aim of facilitating a smoother entry to pharmacy practice in Canada for IPGs by providing access to tools, resources, and a mentorship program matching IPGs with experienced Canadian pharmacists. Despite the challenges of piloting a program at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, P4T was quite successful, exceeding all program targets, including, among other, nearly 200 IPGs placed as mentees in pharmacies across Canada.

Value of an Alliance in Unprecedented Times

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the reshaping of pharmacy care as pharmacy professionals’ scope of practice expanded to accommodate new and shifting demands. As the PRAs worked on implementing new regulations and guidance to meet evolving needs and support pharmacy professionals, NAPRA swiftly shifted gears to assist its members in any way required, including establishing an exchange forum where PRAs could share information related to COVID-19 and address any developing issues, facilitating linkages with Health Canada and numerous other national and international organizations, and researching and consolidating regularly updated pandemic-related information for their exclusive use. NAPRA’s important role in helping its members navigate that difficult period of uncertainty and complex challenges was a clear testament to the value of a national alliance such as NAPRA in times of urgent and unforeseen circumstances.

Development of Key National Model Documents

NAPRA has, over the years, developed and published numerous model standards, competencies, and other documents for use by its members as they see fit in their respective jurisdictions based on their specific needs. Harmonizing competencies and practice standards using common, national model documents helps to reinforce their credibility, dependability, and acceptance throughout Canada, thus assisting in the delivery of consistent quality care across the country.

Collective Voice of Canadian Pharmacy Regulators

As the national alliance of all Canadian PRAs, NAPRA is uniquely positioned to represent the collective voice of its members on whose behalf it engages with various interested parties at the national/pan-Canadian and international levels. This includes engaging with Health Canada and other relevant federal government departments to ensure that NAPRA members’ perspectives are shared on pertinent issues, including responding to formal consultation requests and participating in various Health Canada meetings on a wide variety of topics. NAPRA also closely collaborates with various non-governmental organizations, such as the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs, the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada, the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, the Canadian Pharmacists Association, the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy, and many others on matters of mutual interest.

NAPRA is privileged to work with dedicated, hard-working Board members, staff, and subject matter experts who have kept the organization moving forward over the past 30 years. NAPRA thanks each of them for their staunch commitment to NAPRA’s vision of “pharmacy regulatory excellence” and their contributions to the collective successes of the organization.

Looking ahead, NAPRA remains committed to its mission of providing national leadership to support PRAs in Canada in their efforts to ensure that all Canadians have access to safe, competent, and effective pharmacy care, and to continue to enhance the value it provides for its members as new challenges and opportunities emerge. We are looking forward to the next 30 years of advancing and strengthening NAPRA in its critical role as the alliance of pharmacy regulators in Canada!