Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

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Controlled Drugs and Substances: Essential Management and Prescribing Practices

Self Paced (Available now)

Course Code: NUR-CPD-CDS-2023-24

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Delivery Format: Online

OSAP Approved
Course Description
Registration Information
Faculty Information
Financial Assistance
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  • This course is approved by the following regulators in meeting the educational requirements for prescribing controlled drugs and substances:

    If you are registered with a College/Association outside of Ontario you should determine whether this course will satisfy the requirements of your regulator. 

    Course Description

    This course is designed to provide nurse practitioners with the knowledge and skills required for safe, high quality assessment and management of clients who may require the prescription of a Controlled Drug or Substance (CDS).  This course will deliver the education necessary for Nurse Practitioners in Canada to develop the required competencies for:

    1. Prescribing and monitoring CDS in accordance with federal/provincial/territorial legislation, regulation & guidelines.
    2. Integrating concepts of safety, ethics and evidence informed practice in decision making pertaining to prescribing CDS.
    3. Developing and implementing client-centered CDS treatment plans which include education, monitoring and evaluation of outcomes.

    This course may also be of interest to all healthcare practitioners who are interested in enhancing their knowledge of assessment and management practices related to CDS. This comprehensive course includes a final exam and covers the following topics:

    1. Overview of nurse practitioner prescriptive authority for controlled drugs and substances (CDS) in Canada
    2. Ethical and safe practice context issues
    3. Pharmacology and indications for the prescribing of authorized CDS classes
    4. Assessment & treatment planning related to CDS prescribing – universal approach
    5. Assessment & treatment planning for clients with complex presentations including: substance use disorders or substance diversion behaviours
    6. Case presentations from acute & primary care settings, including paediatric and geriatric populations

    Online (self-paced) Course Content

    Our online fully self-paced course includes interactive eLearning modules, short video clips, links to tools and resources, and access to Virtual Interactive Case software to practice your clinical decision making. All course content is delivered using Quercus, our learning management system. We anticipate this course will take 10-20 hrs to complete. Your access to the course and resources will begin approximately 5 business days after you register and will end 3 months after the day you receive access.

    Online Exam

    Your final completion grade includes results from section quizzes and a final exam. You may attempt the section quizzes and the final exam as many times as you wish. Results will be provided immediately. You are required to achieve 75% in order to successfully complete the course.

    Please Note:

    Upon successful completion of this course you will receive your final mark and a certificate of completion via email. The registration form offers a place where you may give permission to the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing to release your course status (pass) to your  regulatory College/Association. In Ontario: Within 7 days of achievement of an overall passing grade of 75% or higher, the University will automatically start the notification process. Information sent includes the participant’s full name as it appears on their College license, date of course, and completion status as “pass”.  Grades are not submitted.  If you are an NP, the CNO will notify you within approximately 1-2 weeks that you have met the educational requirements for NP prescribing of controlled drugs and substances and are allowed to practice without restrictions.  NP students will have the course applied to their NP registration once you have written your NP exam. Other Provinces/Territories: There is not an automatic notification process in place but the University will release the information as requested directly through our pd.nursing@utoronto.ca e-mail by the individual and the approving regulator body.

  • Registration Information

    Fees

    Online (self-paced) Available now! $320 + HST

    Please Note

    • Applicable taxes (13% HST) will be added to the registration fees.
    • Refund Policy – To withdraw from the online course and receive a refund, your written request must be emailed to nursing@utoronto.ca within 24 hours of registering for the course. No refunds will be given after this time limit. All refunds are subject to an administration fee of $100 + tax.
    • Course Cancellation PolicyThe Centre for Professional Development reserves the right to cancel courses due to circumstances. The decision to cancel a course is normally made 15 days prior to the course. If you are enrolled in a course which is subsequently cancelled, you may apply your fee to another course, or receive a full refund. The Centre is not responsible for any travel or other expenses incurred by you. 
  • Faculty

    Core content was developed by nurse practitioners in a variety of practice settings within Ontario in collaboration/consultation with physician and pharmacy partners. Our primary faculty includes:

    Kathryn Deverson MN, NP (Paediatrics), RN(EC), IBCLC 

    Lynn Haslam RN(EC), MN, PANC(C)
    Nurse Practitioner-Adult, Certificate in Anesthesia Care Pre-Operative Clinic, Holland Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Jiao Jiang MMed (China), NP-Adult, MN, GDipNPAC
    Nurse Practitioner, Acute Pain Service, Toronto General Hospital Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Mary Mowbray NP-Adult, MN, RDMS, GDipNPAC, PNC(C)
    Nurse Practitioner, Anesthesia and Pain Service, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Monica Parry MEd, MSc, NP-Adult, PhD, CCN(C)
    Associate Professor and Coordinator, Nurse Practitioner Programs, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto Nurse Practitioner, Cardiac Surgery; Investigator, THETA Collaborative and Collaborative Program in Resuscitation Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

    Katherine Trip NP-Adult, MN
    Assistant Professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Heather Whittle RN(EC), MScN, GDipNPAC
    Nurse Practitioner, Department of Anesthesia Care and Perioperative Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario

    Rosanra Yoon NP-Adult, MN
    Nurse Practitioner, The Jean Tweed Centre, Toronto, Ontario

    Kevin Zizzo NP-Paediatric, MN, GDipNPAC
    Paediatric Nurse Practitioner, Cardiology, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Leasa Knechtel RN, MN
    Associate Director, Centre for Professional Development & Lecturer – Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Salima S. J Ladak NP, PhD
    NP Acute Pain Service, Toronto General Hospital; Coordinator UHN Pain APN Network; Adjunct Lecturer Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

  • Online Self-Paced Course Schedule The detailed schedule for the online self-paced course is available as a Printable PDF – updated March 10, 2017.

  • Financial AssistanceOSAP Approved

    OSAP Funding

    The Ontario Student Assistance Program now offers funding for micro-credentials (short training programs offered by post-secondary institutions), including a number of courses offered by the Centre for Professional Development. This funding initiative is part of Ontario’s micro-credentials strategy, helping learners access more opportunities to train or upskill for in-demand jobs through loans and grants.

    How to Apply for OSAP Funding

    This course is OSAP approved (more approved courses are listed below, and you can also verify on the Micro-credentials Portal). To apply for financial assistance through OSAP you will need to establish an OSAP account. You must apply before the course completion date. Visit Ontario.ca/OSAP.

    Once you have registered for an eligible OSAP Micro-credential program, the University Registrar’s Office requires a Micro-Credential Program information form to be completed to process your OSAP application. Please fill out the top section of the form and send it to pd.nursing@utoronto.ca to get assistance in completing the form.

    Download the Micro-credential Program Information Form (PDF)

    For questions regarding the OSAP Micro-Credential funding, eligibility or application process, please contact UofT’s Enrolment Services directly at http://uoft.me/enrolment-services, or by phone at 416-978-2190 for assistance.

    Eligible courses offered by the Centre for Professional Development

    • Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning in Primary Health Care: A Review for Nurse Practitioners
    • Advanced Ostomy Care and Management
    • Complex Symptom Management in Palliative Care for Nurse Practitioners
    • Controlled Drugs and Substances: Essential Management and Prescribing Practices
    • End of Life Care Management for Nurse Practitioners
    • Integrating a Palliative Approach to Care and Essential Communication Skills for Nurse Practitioners
    • Leadership & Management in Health Care: Managing Business
    • Leadership & Management in Health Care: Managing People
    • Leadership & Management in Health Care: Managing Practice, Quality Care & Operational Performance
    • Leadership & Management in Health Care: Role, Competencies, and Context
    • Mental Health 1 for Nurse Practitioners
    • Mental Health 2 for Nurse Practitioners
    • Mental Health 3 for Nurse Practitioners
    • Mental Health 4 for Nurse Practitioners
    • Nursing Education for the Practice Setting: Assessment and Evaluation
    • Nursing Education for the Practice Setting: Design, Delivery and Facilitation
    • Nursing Education for the Practice Setting: Theoretical Perspectives and Context
    • Point-of-Care Clinical Leadership for Managing Quality Care & Operations in Long-Term Care
    • Point-of-Care Clinical Leadership for Working With & Leading Long-Term Care Teams
    • Point-of-Care Clinical Leadership in the Context of Long-Term Care
    • Pressure Injuries and Complex Surgical Wounds: An Advanced Practice Course
    • Review of Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
    • Role of the Nurse Practitioner and Care of the Hospitalized Adult 1
    • Role of the Nurse Practitioner and Care of the Hospitalized Adult 2
    • Role of the Nurse Practitioner and Care of the Hospitalized Adult 3
    • Role of the Nurse Practitioner and Care of the Hospitalized Adult 4
    • Wound Management for Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Practice Nurses: A Best Practice Boot Camp on Lower Extremity Ulcers
  • Contact Us

    Email: pd.nursing@utoronto.ca
    Website: bloomberg.nursing.utoronto.ca/pd
    Phone: (416) 978-5207
    Address: Centre for Professional Development (PD) Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing University of Toronto 155 College Street, Suite 130 Toronto, ON  Canada M5T 1P8 map

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