Structured Practical Training (SPT)
Structured Practical Training (SPT) is a mandatory program designed to provide pharmacy professionals with practical, hands-on experience under the guidance of a licensed pharmacist. This training ensures that pharmacists are adequately prepared to meet the demands of their profession and deliver high-quality patient care.
Objectives of SPT
- Skill Development: Enhance practical skills and apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings.
- Professional Competence: Ensure readiness to practice independently and safely.
- Regulatory Compliance: Meet the provincial registration requirements for licensing.
Key Components
Orientation Phase
- Duration: 35-hour orientation
- Objective: Familiarize yourself with the pharmacy’s workflow, software, and dispensing processes.
- Activities: Observing the assessor and other pharmacy staff, assisting with dispensing processes, and completing the PACE Orientation Checklist with the assessor’s support.
- Restrictions: Candidates should not provide direct patient care or perform authorized acts during this phase.
Assessment Phase
- Duration: 70-hour assessment over two or three weeks.
- Objective: Demonstrate readiness to practice independently as a pharmacist under direct supervision.
- Activities: Practice in the full scope of pharmacy, maintain a practice journal with entries describing actual patient care, and complete the Ontario Pharmacy Patient Care Assessment Tool (OPPCAT).
- Evaluation: The candidate’s performance is assessed using the OPPCAT, and a standardized scoring rubric determines the outcome.
Development Phase
- Objective: Address any performance gaps identified during the assessment phase.
- Activities: Develop and implement a learning action plan with the help of a coaching pharmacist, based on the performance profile and additional resources provided.
- Re-assessment: Candidates can re-apply for PACE with a different assessor after completing the development phase.
Registration as a Pharmacy Student or Intern
Requirement: Candidates must be registered as current pharmacy students or interns to legally perform authorized acts during SPT. This registration must be maintained throughout the PACE process.
Expiry and Validity Dates
Validity: PACE must be successfully completed within two years before applying for pharmacist registration.
Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) – Assessment Criteria
Structured Practical Training (SPT) is a mandatory program designed to provide pharmacy professionals with practical, hands-on experience under the guidance of a licensed pharmacist. This training ensures that pharmacists are adequately prepared to meet the demands of their profession and deliver high-quality patient care.
Patient Care
Develops Patient Relationships
- Introduces self appropriately (name and title).
- Clearly articulates role in supporting the patient’s healthcare needs.
- Encourages the patient to actively participate in their own care.
- Ensures patient comfort for interaction (e.g., maintains privacy, minimizes distractions).
Conducts Patient Assessments
– Utilizes multiple sources to gather information about the patient, such as:
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- Patient/caregiver interviews.
- Prescription vials.
- Patient profiles/chart reviews.
- Physical examinations.
- Information from other pharmacies/healthcare providers.
– Evaluate the quality of gathered information and determine if further information is needed.
Identifies Drug Therapy Problems (DTPs)
- Based on patient assessments, determines the patient’s needs and the safety and efficacy of existing and new medications.
- Identifies actual and potential DTPs and prioritizes them based on severity and urgency.
Makes Clinical Decisions
- Uses appropriate references to gather necessary information.
- Appraises information to ensure its applicability to the patient’s needs.
- Develop a list of therapeutic options appropriate for the patient’s DTPs.
- Compares and contrasts options, weighing evidence to prioritize them.
- Incorporates the patient’s values/preferences, relevant evidence, and practicality to decide on managing the patient’s DTPs and formulating a course of action.
Implements Care Plans
- Decides on clinical (health) and therapeutic (safety/efficacy) outcomes.
- Identifies timelines for monitoring outcomes.
- Sets own responsibilities for implementing plans.
- Incorporates self-care and patient/caregiver education into plans.
- Implements the plan according to the timelines and responsibilities set.
Provincial Requirements
Ontario
Regulatory Authority: Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP)
Program Details: The SPT program is transitioning to the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE). The PACE assessment ensures that candidates are ready to practice independently and safely.
British Columbia
Regulatory Authority: College of Pharmacists of British Columbia
Program Details: Candidates must complete their structured practical training through the Canadian Pharmacy Practice Programme (CP3) at the University of British Columbia, which includes 12 weeks of classroom instruction followed by a 12.5-week practicum.
Alberta
Regulatory Authority: Alberta College of Pharmacy
Program Details: Structured training requirements specific to the province.
Additional Resources
The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) provides essential guidelines, standards, and resources for pharmacy practice across Canada. For detailed information on competencies, guidelines, and professional development tools, pharmacists should refer to the NAPRA website. This includes access to the NAPRA Professional Competencies for Canadian Pharmacists at Entry to Practice, which outlines the required competencies for pharmacists entering practice in Canada.