CDSA & NSAA Flashcards
What does CDSA stand for and what is it?
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act –> federal law that applies to the handling of controlled substances in Canada
What does NSAA stand for and what is it?
Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act –> provincial law that affects the dispensing in Ontario of monitored drugs
What is legislation made up of? (define the three main parts)
Act –> outlines what may or may not be done
Regulations –> detailed rules about how the act is to be achieved (can be changed more easily)
Schedule –> a list of information in an act
What are the two main acts for controlled substances in Canada?
- CDSA
2. FDA
What are the 3 major classifications for controlled substances?
- Narcotics
- Controlled Drugs
- Benzodiazepines and other targeted substances
What are the three main regulations for controlled substances and which acts do they come from?
- Narcotic Control Regulations (CDSA)
- Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations (CDSA)
- Food and Drug Regulations Part G (FDA)
Why was the CDSA developed by the federal government?
To control the import, export and distribution of all controlled substances in Canada
What does the term ‘controlled substance’ mean?
Substance which has the ability to alter mental processes and that may produce harm to one’s health and to society when distributed or used without supervision
What is a controlled drug?
Controlled drug refers only to the items listed in Schedule G to the FDA regulations
What is the purpose of the Controlled substances Schedules 1-8 and how does this compare to NAPRA?
The schedules are for law enforcement; talks about penalties for manufacturing, possession and trafficking of controlled substances
NOT the same as the National Drug Schedules by NAPRA
Define Narcotic, how strictly are they regulated and how can you tell what a narcotic is?
Narcotic = Any substance included in the schedule to the Narcotic Control Regulation (NCR)
They are the most strictly regulated drugs and are marked with an N on the manufacturer label.
What are the two classifications of narcotics?
- Narcotic Drugs: Schedule N (written prescription, straight or reportable narcotics)
- Narcotic Preparations: verbal prescription narcotics and exempted codeine preparations
What do Narcotic drugs include?
- product containing a single narcotic ingredient
- narcotics in injectable form for parenteral use
- narcotic compounds containing more than one narcotic ingredient
- narcotic compounds containing less than 2 other non-narcotic ingredients
- products containing methadone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, or pentazocine
What are qualities of a narcotic prescription?
- cannot be ordered verbally
- cannot be refilled
- may be prescribed as part fills (total quantity dispensed and part fill quantity must be indicated)
- transfers are not permitted
What are the dispensing requirements for narcotics that is different from the general requirements from the DPRA?
Prescribers must record on the prescription for a narcotic:
- registration/license number
- patient identification number
- type of patient identification provided
Define Narcotic Preparation
ALL of the following requirements:
- only one narcotic drug plus two or more non-narcotic medicinal ingredients in therapeutic doses
- not intended for injection
- not containing methadone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, or pentazocine
What are the qualities of a prescription for narcotic preparations?
- may be verbal, written or faxed
- may be accepted verbally by registered pharmacy students and interns under the direct supervision of a pharmacist
- may not be accepted verbally by technicians
- require the same dispensing information as narcotic drugs
- cannot be refilled
- cannot be transferred
Is Tylenol No. 2 a narcotic?
No it is a narcotic preparation –> one single narcotic ingredient (codeine is not on the list) and two non-narcotic medicinal ingredients
Define Codeine preparations
- contains codeine up to a maximum of 8mg per solid oral dosage form or 20mg/30mL of liquid
AND
- 2 or more active non-narcotic ingredients
What is the label that must be on the outside of a codeine preparation?
“This preparation contains codeine and should not be administered to children except on advice of physician, dentist or nurse practitioner”
What Schedule do non-prescription codeine products fall under and what are their conditions for sale?
NAPRA Drug Schedule II
- must be sold from an area of the pharmacy where there is no opportunity for self selection
- pharmacist intervention required to determine need and potential for harm
- cannot be visible to the public
Define Advertisement and how does this apply to narcotics?
Any means of promoting directly or indirectly, the sale of a narcotic
- pharmacies are not permitted to advertised
- cannot advertise the sale of exempted codeine products through promotional print or web-based materials
- products must not be visible to the public
Define narcotic prescription
An authorization given by a practitioner that a stated amount of the narcotic be dispensed for the person named in the prescription
When must the practitioner confirm an authorized quantity?
If:
- prescription indicates “as needed” dosing
- prescription has a flexible dosage (1-2 tabs tid for example)
- prescription has interval between doses
AKA if the amount cannot exactly be calculated
What does it mean to be put “in a notice”?
The practitioner or pharmacist named in a notice has had their ability to order controlled substances revoked by the Office of Controlled Substances, Health Canada.
What does it mean if a pharmacist is ‘in a notice’?
- they are listed in a letter sent to all pharmacies indicating restrictions for all or some controlled substances
- they are not allowed to order some or all controlled substances to their pharmacy
- they are not allowed to be a designated manager
What does the term ‘double doctoring’ mean and what does the CDSA do to prevent this?
Double doctoring: receiving multiple narcotic prescriptions from different practitioners
The patient must disclose if they have received a prescription for or have obtained any controlled substances within the preceding 30 days from another practitioner –> the onus is on the patient
What should a pharmacist do if there is no interval indicated on the prescription?
Use professional judgement to monitor patient adherence to the drug therapy
With respect to who can prescribe and how it is dispensed, what is the most strictly regulated narcotic?
Methadone –> for pain and opioid dependence
Who can prescribe methadone and what are the two types of exemptions for prescribing?
Practitioner ‘with exemption’ is allowed to prescribe methadone
Two types of exemptions:
- for addiction treatment or methadone maintenance treatment (MMT)
- OR for pain
- *these exemptions have an expiry date and must be reapplied for when they run out
- **As of May 19, 2018, practitioners no longer require a Section 56 exemption from Health Canada prior to prescribing methadone as per changes to the Narcotic Control Regulations (NCR).
Who can a pharmacist sell or provide methadone to?
- A licensed dealer
- Another pharmacist
- A hospital employee (practicing in a hospital, practitioner of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a nurse practitioner)
- A person exempted under s.56 of the CDSA with respect to methadone (no longer applicable)
- A person from whom the pharmacist has received a written order from a practitioner (exempted under s.56 of the CDSA with respect to methadone no longer applicable)
What are the dispensing requirements for methadone?
Owner or DM of a pharmacy that dispenses methadone must provide OCP with the following within 7 days:
- notice of intention to dispense methadone
- if accepting new patients
- names of pharmacists trained to dispense methadone
- hours of operation of the pharmacy
- any changes in this status