Canadian pharmacy and therapeutics news: recalls, shortages, guideline updates and developments in practice.
The Ordre des pharmaciens du Quebec says pharmacists will soon be able to test for strep throat, adjust a patient's medication for an adverse reaction, and renew chronic-disease prescriptions without the previous limits, effective December 9, 2026.
Sep 14, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
The Manitoba government has expanded pharmacists' scope of practice to let trained pharmacists assess for, prescribe and administer eligible birth control -- including injectable contraceptives -- building on free coverage that began in 2024.
Sep 14, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
Vitalité Health Network has ended direct dispensing of dialysis-related medications at its Miramichi clinic, shifting roughly 550 patients to community pharmacies -- a change the network frames as a medication-safety improvement, but that has patients worried about new out-of-pocket costs.
Sep 14, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
BC's Ministry of Health says it is investigating reports that menopausal hormone therapy patches -- covered free under PharmaCare since March -- aren't sticking properly, and is giving pharmacists specific guidance on how to handle a loose patch and document a replacement.
Sep 14, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
The Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator's new Jordan Pharmacy Licensure Pathway pilot brought 17 internationally trained pharmacists to the province in one week, 11 of them with refugee status, as part of a push to close an estimated 500-pharmacist shortage.
Sep 14, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
Pharmacists in Newfoundland and Labrador's public hospital system say vacancy rates near 20% province-wide -- and far higher in some rural sites -- are compromising patient care, with a union representing them demanding immediate wage adjustments rather than a multi-year fix.
Sep 14, 2026 · 2 min read Read briefing
A BMJ study of 2.3 million Ontario seniors, led by University of Toronto and Sinai Health researchers, pinpoints 24 common "prescribing cascades" where one drug's side effect triggers an unneeded second prescription -- and calls for pharmacists to be more directly built into catching them.
Sep 13, 2026 · 4 min read Read briefing
Updated Sep 22, 2026: Health Canada now confirms Dr. Reddy's semaglutide shortage as actual (not just anticipated) and has newly listed Apotex's Apo-Semaglutide as an actual shortage too, driven by demand overflow -- meaning both approved Canadian generics are now officially short, while brand-name Ozempic remains stable.
Sep 13, 2026 · 7 min read Read briefing
The Canadian Pharmacists Association reported on September 9 that Canadian pharmacy leaders played a prominent role at the 84th FIP World Congress, held in Montréal for the first time since 1997, including a session on CPhA's new National Benchmark for Pharmacy Practice. The congress drew a record 3,455 delegates from 116 countries and signals growing international attention to Canada's expanding pharmacist scope of practice.
Sep 12, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
The Northwest Territories is drafting new pharmacy regulations that would let pharmacists prescribe for conditions like UTIs and migraines and administer most routine vaccines, according to the territory's pharmacy association president.
Sep 12, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
Health Canada and Teva Canada announced the recall of one lot of Novo-Gesic Forte 500 mg acetaminophen tablets after tests found the tablets may contain phenolic resin or epoxy particles capable of injuring the digestive tract.
Sep 12, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing
PEBC’s October 2026 sitting is the last Pharmacist Evaluating Examination; from January 2027, international pharmacy graduates with a valid document evaluation go straight to the Qualifying Examination Part I. Alberta has also replaced the CCPP bridging certificate with the University of Alberta’s Diploma in Canadian Pharmacy Practice for candidates who do not pass a qualifying exam part on the first attempt.
Sep 10, 2026 · 3 min read Read briefing