New Health Canada temporary exemptions for prescriptions of controlled substances, including psychostimulants, allows:
Pharmacists to:
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Extend prescriptions
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Transfer prescriptions to other pharmacists
Prescribers to:
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Issue verbal orders (i.e., over the phone) to extend or refill a prescription
Pharmacy employees to:
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Deliver prescriptions of controlled substances to patients’ homes or other locations where they may be (i.e., self-isolating).
Access the Health Canada document outlining temporary exemptions for prescriptions of controlled substances.
These exemptions were temporarily introduced under Section 56(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) on March 19, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide patients with uninterrupted care while adhering to the principles of social distancing and self-isolation. This exemption will expire upon being revoked, replaced by another exemption, or on September 30, 2020, whichever occurs first.
To read the full announcement from Health Canada in English, please click here.