(March 4, 2019) Recently-released Model Standards for Pharmacy Compounding for Non-Hazardous Sterile Preparations from the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) stipulate that community pharmacies must use a Before Use Date of twelve hours for pre-filled medication syringes. This significantly affects our ability to provide care for patients with palliative care needs in the home, especially at end of life.
The CSPCP and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association jointly wrote to NAPRA on February 19, 2019, requesting an exception to this standard for palliative care. The letter describes the reasons why care is affected and what the impact is for patients, caregivers, and health care providers. Copies of the letter were sent to Health Canada, to their federal/provincial/territorial/palliative care group, and to the heads of the provincial Sections of Palliative Medicine.
