Call for Committee Members

Dear Members:

On behalf of the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) Board of Directors, I am pleased to offer an opportunity for interested members from all practice settings across Ontario to volunteer their knowledge, expertise, insights and time by way of participating on the various committees and working groups for the 2023-2024 Board year.

For many years, committees and working groups have been integral to the governance structure of the Association and have provided opportunities for OPA’s valued members to bring front-line input and guidance to the Board and staff. The input and guidance provided help to ensure that the Board of Directors remains on track to achieving its strategic goals and shaping the future of our profession – with direct input from the profession. Accordingly, there are several positions available for the following committees in 2023-2024:

Audit and Finance Committee (AFC)

The Audit and Finance Committee is a committee of the Board of Directors of the Association, and its primary purpose is to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for the following key areas:

1. Monitoring the Association’s accounting and financial reporting process and disclosure;
2. Overseeing annual financial audit process in order to gain reasonable assurance about the qualifications, independence and performance of the appointed external auditors and their audit of the Association’s financial statements;
3. Overseeing financial investment management and risk management as delegated by the Board.

For more information regarding AFC, please visit here.

Economics Committee (EC)

The Economics Committee is a committee of the Board of Directors to advise and guide the Board and the Association on matters of economic and business relevance. The objectives of the committee are to:

1. To provide input and advice pertaining to pharmacy economic policy direction to the Board and Association
2. To help with engagement and to mitigate existing fragmentation and diversity of opinions through a unified message being presented to government, and
3. To support OPA staff with government and private payor consultations and negotiations.

All committee members must be OPA members, corporate representatives must be Corporate Pharmacy Partnership Program members, and independent pharmacy owners must be OPA Owners Bundle members. For more information regarding EC, please visit here.

Pharmacists’ Practice Committee (PPC):
The objectives of the Professional Practice Committee (PPC) are:

1. To assist OPA in providing support to frontline pharmacy professionals (pharmacists, students and technicians) through the provision of practical tools, educational advice and support that will:
   a. Drive greater uptake of pharmacists’ and pharmacy technicians’ current scope of practice
   b. Foster new ideas for future scope expansion
   c. Increase operational efficiency, and
   d. Generate increased patient awareness of the breadth of pharmacy services
2. To identify practice issues/concerns for OPA and possible solutions to mitigate them
3. To guide and offer feedback to OPA’s Professional Development department on its curriculum of educational offerings for pharmacy professionals
4. To provide ideas for the OPA Conference educational lineup and feedback on the learning objectives for selected topics

The Pharmacists’ Practice Committee seeks a balance of members with experience in all practice settings and environments in order to obtain pertinent information and context to issues and concerns under discussion. For more information regarding the PPC, please visit here.

Long-Term Care Pharmacy Provider Task Force (LTC TF)
The objectives of the LTC TF are:

1. To advise and, when necessary, guide the Economics Committee and OPA staff on matters related to the provision of Pharmacy Services to LTC and Retirement Homes
2. To assist the OPA Board, relevant committees, working groups, task forces and staff in understanding the evolving nature of current and new service requirements in Ontario as they relate to LTC and RH;
3. To ensure that the interests and value of LTC pharmacies and the pharmacy professionals working within LTC are recognized, preserved, and leveraged in the implementation of regulations, policies, and funding models for the provision of medication management services in LTC and RH; and
4. To ensure that resident/patient safety is always considered in the development and implementation of regulations, policies, and funding models.

The task force seeks to represent long-term care pharmacy providers in Ontario and balance its membership with one representative per provider. For more information regarding the LTC TF, please visit here.

Interested members must apply and selected individuals will be appointed by OPA’s Governance and Nominating Committee.

While schedules and frequencies can vary depending on the issues and the deliverables required, OPA committees and working groups usually hold three to four meetings per Board year (May of the current year to May of the following year). Meetings are typically held through video or teleconference and members are reimbursed according to the OPA reimbursement guidelines available in the members’ only section on the OPA website.

These are tremendous opportunities for you to increase your engagement in the profession, have input into the work of the Association, and help the Board and staff shape and advance our profession. If you require more information or are interested in reviewing the terms of reference for these committees, please visit the OPA website.