Coming soon: online CE for business of pharmacy

JULY 2017 - An online continuing education program on pharmacy operations and management is coming soon, based on the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy’s popular Pharmacy Management in Canada textbook. Produced by the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) and entitled Managing Your Pharmacy: The Business Essentials, the comprehensive program has been developed with pharmacy owners and managers in mind, and includes a section on the delivery of expanded services for patients.

“Pharmacy owners and managers who know how to take care of business are better able to take care of patients, especially under an expanded scope of practice. There is a direct relationship between business practices and professional practice,” says Dayle Acorn, Executive Director of CFP. “We’re thrilled that CPhA and OPA are able to build upon CFP’s textbook to create this online program that can help take community pharmacy to the next level.”

The program will be accredited for 25 to 30 credits by the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy and is expected to be available in the fall on the websites for OPA and CPhA. Case studies and comments from pharmacy leaders flesh out educational material broken down into the following seven modules:

1. So You Want to Own or Manage a Pharmacy…Where to Start?
2. Running a Tight Ship: Pharmacy Operations
3. The Bottom Line: Financial Management
4. Your Pharmacy Team: Human Resources Management
5. Marketing, Promotion and Communication for Your Business
6. Delivering Patient-Focused Services: Meeting the Needs of Your Patients
7. Your Business Plan