The self-regulating health professions in Canada are mandated to ensure that licensed practitioners provide safe and effective care. To fulfill this mandate, regulatory authorities have been established within the provinces, with coordination of policies at the national level. For the profession of pharmacy, the provincial organizations are known as the Colleges of Pharmacists while the national organization is the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA). This situation in Canada is similar to that in many westernized countries, including the United States, where there are State Boards of Pharmacy and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Other countries have more centralized regulatory authorities such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
