Canada's medicines law, controlled drugs regulations and prescribing framework is highly complex. There is no single, uniform rulebook governing them across the country. Instead, compliance obligations vary significantly across federal law, provincial regulations, prescribing authorities and drug-specific regulatory regimes. As a result, over 40 percent of medical prescription errors arise from misinterpretations of provincial legislations that are layered on top of federal law.
This certified program is designed to equip medical leaders with the practical authority and confidence needed to operate within Canada's medicines law and controlled-drug regulatory framework. You will master the interpretation of the Food and Drugs Act, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), and key controlled-drug regulations that govern prescribing and medicines management. The program also explores prescribing authority, opioid stewardship, and professional accountability — empowering you to strengthen compliance oversight and decisively manage prescribing-related risks within your organization.
Throughout the program, you will gain proven approaches to strengthening prescribing compliance, improving documentation defensibility, and managing controlled-drug governance risks with greater precision. You will also acquire actionable insight into handling regulatory inspections, accelerating audit readiness, and identifying compliance vulnerabilities long before they escalate into serious regulatory or legal exposure. The curriculum further examines pharmacovigilance responsibilities and effective compliance monitoring frameworks, enabling you to make more informed prescribing decisions and reinforce organizational governance practices that drive safer healthcare outcomes.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded the Certification of Canada Medicines Law and Prescribing Compliance, a globally recognized credential validating your expertise in medicines governance, prescribing compliance, and healthcare risk management. This certification elevates your professional credibility and positions you as a trusted compliance and governance authority within Canada's highly regulated healthcare sector.
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This program will entitle you:
Pricing & Registration- Gain 2 intensive days of instructor-led live training and build the practical authority to navigate Canada's medicines law, controlled-drug regulations, and prescribing compliance with confidence in even the most complex regulatory environments.
- Earn the industry-recognized Certification in Canada Medicines Law and Prescribing Compliance, validating your proven capability to manage prescribing risks, controlled-drug obligations, and regulatory compliance with authority.
- Develop in-depth command of Canada's medicines regulatory framework, including the Food and Drugs Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and Narcotic Control Regulations.
- For inquiries, chat with our Program Advisers at [email protected] or call us at
- Singapore and Asia Pacific: +65 6716 9980
- Australia and New Zealand: +61 3 9909 7310
- UK, Europe and Middle East: +44 (020) 335 57898
- Canada: +1 833 879 8820
- USA: +1 888 745 8875
Accreditations
This program is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Professional Certifications, which maintains the governing standards for all professionals who have completed this program.
The content of this program has been fully certified and accredited by CPD Certification Service as conforming to Continuing Professional Principles. CPD is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the Continuing Professional Development policies of professional institutes and academic bodies. The CPD Certification Service provides support, advice and recognized independent CPD accreditation compatible with global CPD principles.
What Can You Expect From This Live Program
Canada's medicines regulatory landscape has never been more demanding. Health Canada now oversees more than 25,000 marketed pharmaceutical products and processes thousands of adverse drug reaction reports each year. As enforcement expectations intensify across prescribing, pharmacovigilance, and controlled-drug management, healthcare organizations face escalating compliance complexity and serious legal exposure — making strong medicines governance and prescribing oversight more critical to your professional and institutional survival than ever before.
This certified program is designed to equip you with a practical and authoritative command of Canada's medicines law and prescribing compliance framework. You will gain critical insight into the regulatory structure governing medicines, controlled drugs, and prescribing practices across Canada, with in-depth examination of key legislation including the Food and Drugs Act, Food and Drug Regulations, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Narcotic Control Regulations, and Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations. With this stronger foundation, you will be far better positioned to navigate complex compliance obligations, strengthen prescribing governance, and lead safer healthcare practices within your organization.
Throughout the program, you will sharpen your ability to interpret prescribing authority, scope of practice requirements, and professional accountability obligations with confidence and precision. You will also develop practical expertise in clinical documentation, opioid stewardship, and adverse drug reaction reporting — capabilities that directly improve patient safety while reducing regulatory exposure. The program will further strengthen your compliance monitoring and governance controls, helping you identify compliance vulnerabilities before they escalate into legal issues. Critically, you will learn how to prepare effectively for audits, inspections, and regulatory investigations, equipping your organization to minimize enforcement risks and respond decisively when scrutiny arrives.
Through realistic case studies and scenario-based discussions, you will gain proven strategies to assess regulatory risks and respond with confidence in even the most complex compliance situations. The program also addresses the emerging challenges in digital prescribing and telemedicine — keeping you ahead of evolving regulatory expectations in Canada's rapidly transforming healthcare environment.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will attain the Certification of Canada Medicines Law and Prescribing Compliance, an industry-recognized credential that validates your expertise in navigating complex medicines regulations, strengthening prescribing compliance, and leading effective healthcare governance within Canada's evolving regulatory landscape.
Key Skills You Will Gain
- Food and Drugs Act Interpretation
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) Compliance
- Narcotic Control Regulations Compliance
- Targeted Substances Regulations Management
- Prescribing Compliance Governance
- Medicines Regulatory Interpretation
- Controlled-Drug Risk Management
- Healthcare Compliance Auditing
- Regulatory Inspection Readiness
- Prescribing Documentation Defensibility
- Clinical Documentation Standards
- Opioid Stewardship Governance
- Prescription Monitoring Analysis
- Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting
- Pharmacovigilance Compliance
- Healthcare Governance Frameworks
- Scope of Practice Compliance
- Prescribing Authority Assessment
- Regulatory Investigation Management
- Compliance Vulnerability Identification
- Internal Compliance Controls
- Healthcare Risk Mitigation
- Regulatory Enforcement Response
- Controlled Substances Recordkeeping
- Audit and Inspection Preparation
- Incident Escalation Management
- Compliance Monitoring Frameworks
- Digital Prescribing Compliance
- Telemedicine Regulatory Compliance
- Healthcare Regulatory Risk Assessment
Your Faculty Director
Scott Sawler is one of Canada's most respected authorities on medicines regulation and healthcare compliance, with over 30 years of distinguished experience across Health Canada, pharmaceutical regulation, clinical trials, and controlled-drug governance. He currently serves as President of Canadian Regulatory Affairs at the Drug Safety Institute and previously held senior leadership roles at Health Canada, including Director General of the Marketed Health Products Directorate (MHPD) and the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD).
Scott has led major regulatory and policy initiatives spanning medicines governance, prescribing compliance, post-market surveillance, and controlled-drug oversight. He played a key role in developing Health Canada's regulatory frameworks for marketed health products and pharmaceutical brand-name review, while overseeing risk-benefit assessments and regulatory compliance strategies. His expertise spans clinical trial regulation, narcotic distribution controls, pharmacovigilance, pharmacy operations, and healthcare compliance governance. Scott has also advised pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and regulatory stakeholders on complex prescribing, regulatory, and medicines safety matters across Canada's highly regulated healthcare environment — bringing rare insider-level perspective directly to every participant.
Canada Medicines Law, Controlled Drug Regulations & Prescribing Compliance Program Agenda
How You Will Benefit
- Understand Canada's Medicines Framework: Master a comprehensive understanding of Canada's medicines laws, controlled-drug regulations, and prescribing compliance requirements.
- Interpret Key Healthcare Legislation: Confidently apply the Food and Drugs Act, CDSA, Narcotic Control Regulations, and Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations to real-world prescribing scenarios.
- Strengthen Prescribing Compliance: Build practical capabilities to elevate prescribing oversight, documentation defensibility, and compliance governance across your healthcare organization.
- Manage Opioid-Related Risks: Gain actionable insights into opioid stewardship, prescribing accountability, and controlled-drug risk management.
- Improve Regulatory Risk Management: Learn to identify compliance vulnerabilities early and deploy robust governance controls that minimize legal and enforcement exposure.
- Prepare for Regulatory Audits: Acquire the practical knowledge to lead audit readiness, manage inspections, and respond to Health Canada investigations with confidence.
- Develop Effective Pharmacovigilance Strategies: Take command of adverse drug reaction reporting, compliance monitoring, and medicines safety responsibilities.
- Navigate Emerging Healthcare Challenges: Stay ahead of evolving regulatory expectations surrounding digital prescribing, telemedicine, and modern healthcare delivery practices.
Certification of Canada Medicines Law and Prescribing Compliance
Upon successfully completing this program, you will earn the Certification of Canada Medicines Law and Prescribing Compliance, an industry-recognized certification with lifelong validity. This prestigious credential validates your authority to interpret and apply Canada's medicines and controlled-drug regulations, strengthen prescribing compliance practices, and lead effective medicines governance within Canada's highly regulated healthcare environment. It further elevates your professional credibility and showcases your expertise in compliance and audit readiness, prescribing risk management, and controlled-drug governance.
This program is developed by the Chartered Institute of Professional Certifications and the content of this program has been certified by CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional principles.
Pricing & Registration
Canada
Dates: 14 - 15 Oct 2026
Venue: Online Executive Program (via Zoom)
Time: 8:00am - 3:30pm Pacific Time (PT)
10:00am - 5:30pm Central Daylight Time (CDT)
11:00am - 6:30pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
| Early Bird Packages | Regular Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| By 11 Aug 2026 | By 22 Sep 2026 | After 22 Sep 2026 | |
| Canada Delegates | CAD 1,895 | CAD 2,195 | CAD 2,295 |
Group Discount: 2nd participant get 10%, or register 3 participants and 4th participant get a complimentary seat (1 discount scheme applies)
Register NowDownload Brochure
You can download our program brochure below. If you have any inquiries on this program, please contact our Program Advisor at [email protected] or call us at:
- Singapore and Asia Pacific: +65 6716 9980
- Australia and New Zealand: +61 3 9909 7310
- UK, Europe and Middle East: +44 (020) 335 57898
- Canada: +1 833 879 8820
- USA: +1 888 745 8875
Convincing Your Boss To Attend This Program
Securing approval from your boss to attend this program can be difficult if you don’t know what to say. So we’ve prepared a template for you! All you need to do is to download this template, copy and paste in email and send it to your boss!
Canada Medicines Law, Controlled Drug Regulations & Prescribing Compliance
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