Narcotic reconciliation for Ontario pharmacies: the OCP six-month rule
Every Ontario pharmacy that handles narcotics and controlled substances has to reconcile them — checking what is physically on the shelf against what the records say should be there. Here is what that involves, how often it is expected, and what to do when the numbers don’t match.
What reconciliation actually means
Reconciliation compares your physical count of a controlled substance against the expected quantitycalculated from your own records. If the two match, the drug reconciles to zero. If they don’t, the difference is a variance to investigate — it might be a paperwork gap, or it might be a genuine loss.
The math
Expected on-hand = Last count + Purchased − Dispensed − Destroyed.
Variance = Counted − Expected.
The window runs from the day after the previous count up to and including the current count date. A drug’s very first count simply sets the opening balance — there is no baseline to reconcile against yet. (More detail: how reconciliation works.)
How often you have to reconcile
In Ontario, the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) expects narcotics and controlled substances to be reconciled at least every six months. Several provinces are stricter — British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland & Labrador generally expect a count every three months. Always confirm the current requirement with your own provincial college.
What to do with a variance
A variance is not automatically a loss. The most common causes are record issues: a destruction that was never logged, a dispense recorded under a different DIN, interchangeable brand switching, or a transaction dated just outside the count window. Drill into the purchased, dispensed and destroyed figures behind the expected number, find the cause, and document it.
If, after investigating, you have a confirmed loss or theftof a controlled substance, Health Canada’s Office of Controlled Substances must be notified — generally within 10 days of discovery. (See investigating a discrepancy and resolving an undercount.)
Records to keep
Keep your counts and the transaction records behind them retrievable for at least two years. An inspector may ask to see the history — not just your most recent count — so an exportable report per count is worth having.
How software makes this manageable
Doing this with a paper count book and a spreadsheet is slow and easy to get wrong. NarcCount calculates the expected on-hand for you from the records you already keep, flags every variance, lets you drill into the exact transactions, and produces an inspection-ready report. It assists your reconciliation — it does not replace your dispensing system, the Ontario Narcotics Monitoring System (NMS), or your professional obligations.
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. For the authoritative requirements, refer to the Ontario College of Pharmacists and Health Canada.