We just released the National Benchmark for Pharmacy Practice—a first-of-its-kind framework that defines the health-care services pharmacists are educated to provide in Canada. We know how busy the fall season can be in pharmacy, so you may not have had time to read it cover to cover last week. That’s why we’ve pulled together 5 important things you should know about the Benchmark:

It tackles a long-standing challenge

We all know that pharmacists’ scope of practice varies significantly across Canada. But their education? Not so much. The Benchmark provides a clear, national reference point that shows what pharmacists are educated to do, regardless of where they live or work.

It defines 5 key areas of practice

After extensive consultation with the profession—from frontline pharmacists to pharmacy educators and everyone in between—the Benchmark identifies 5 key areas of pharmacists’ knowledge and skills. Here’s how they break down: Dispensing, drug supply management and compounding; Assessment and prescribing; Testing, screening and monitoring; Patient education, health promotion and preventative care; and Drug administration and vaccine services.

It responds to timely debates

As pharmacists’ scope continues to expand across the country, questions about training and competencies still pop up. We saw it most recently in Ontario, when the pharmacist prescribing for additional minor ailments was announced and some voices in the physician community pushed back. The Benchmark provides clear, authoritative evidence of pharmacists’ education and skills—and helps put those debates to rest.

It has broad endorsement

Developed through one of CPhA’s most extensive consultations ever and endorsed by the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC), the Benchmark sets a clear standard for governments and regulators to work toward.

It’s the first step in a bigger campaign

The Benchmark isn’t the finish line—it’s the starting point. It lays the foundation for a 2-part initiative to empower the profession. Part 2 comes later this fall, when CPhA will launch Pharmacists CAN, a national advocacy campaign to rally Canadians and decision makers in support of fully enabling pharmacists across the country.

So, there you have it—5 things you should know about the National Benchmark for Pharmacy Practice. And this is just the beginning. The Benchmark will have the most impact if it’s shared, discussed and used to push for change. Explore the document, talk about it with your colleagues and networks and start gathering stories that show the power of pharmacists practicing to full scope. Together, we can build the momentum to move our profession forward.

Explore the Benchmark