–     Welcome to all provincial partner attendees

–     Approval of agenda

–     Approval of past meeting minutes

–     Terms of Reference

–     NPC future dates/times

–     Motion to approve past NPC meeting minutes held Sept 6, 2017. Chelsea Rogerson motioned to approve. No one else present to second the motion, and Dani Daigle suggested contacting Sue Peck to second the motion.

–     Terms of Reference reviewed. No changes have been made to TOR since they were approved last year. For information only.

–     Discussion: No questions or concerns voiced over current TOR.

·         Lenora informed that NPAC is currently reviewing organizational items to be amended, including adding NP Chair to NPAC Bylaws. To be voted on at next AGM (date for AGM to TBD).

–      Lindsey proposed that future NP Council meetings be held on the 1^st Monday of every second month at 7 pm EST. It was suggested if the 1^st Monday falls on a holiday, the meeting will be held the following Monday. There were no objections for the proposed NPC schedule. Motion approved by Deb Hart, and seconded by Laura Gould.

Lindsey to get Sue Peck to approve minutes of last meeting.

·         Discussion: Deb Hart (NPANS) mentioned a possibility of having information posted to website and email membership link to information as they do at NPANS. Deb also sends out a 1-pager informal update monthly to members. Frankie Verville with SANP does the same.

·         Laura Gould (NPNB) sends a newsletter every 2-3 months to their members with updates.

·         Cindy Fehr (NPAM) sends bulletins through e-blasts with important items only on a regular basis. Better update from membership in this format.

·         Claudia Mariano (NPAO) sends 1 email per week to members.

·         Lenora approached by member about collecting data from all provinces and disburse information that can be relevant to all provinces through NPAC.

Provincial partners to copy Lindsey and Lenora on newsletters/bulletins to be considered for distribution to all members across the country

·         Proclamation

·         Tool Kit

·         Funding for NP Week celebrations

·         NP of the Year Award

·         We are requesting the Federal Health Minister to issue a proclamation declaring this week as NP week. Stan Marchuk is currently tasking this item with the health minister. NP Week will go ahead regardless of proclamation. Manitoba has declared a “NP Day” for their province.

·         A resource guide/tool was created and available for the jurisdictions to utilize for NP Week with the goal to unify the jurisdictions during NP Week. Email has been sent to provincial partners

·         NPAC will reimburse up to $500 per provincial partner for funding to hold celebrations within their jurisdiction during NP Week. This money can be utilized for social events, advertisements, MLA/MP invites. Cannot be used for gifts/prizes. Receipts to be submitted within one week after NP week celebrations.

·         NP of the Year Award will be announced during NP Week. Some of the nominations received were not NPAC members, and need to ensure nominees are members to receive award.

Lenora to resend to Deb Hart.

–      NP Council members are asked to share with their jurisdictions to put names forward for nominations once the call goes out from NPAC.

–       On NPAC’s website, NP members can access a pre-developed letter that they can send to insurance companies of issue. NPs can fill in the blanks on the form and a letter will be auto-populated with their information.

–       Discussion: Many issues still ongoing with consistency amongst acceptance of NP signatures with multiple insurance companies. Issues seem to flare when policies are renewed. Coverage can also be employer driven when they renew policies with insurance companies.

–       There is a meeting schedule this week with CNA to address this issue. Questions were sent out to membership for specific feedback with regards to current insurance companies not accepting NP signatures.

–       NPAO has been in contact with Joan Weir – Director of Health & Disability Policy for the Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association who has a body support NP authority.

Develop a letter for Joan Weir regarding issues with NP authority for prescriptions. Send to all provincial partners to sign the letter prior to sending to Joan.

– Introduction & Update

–       CNA has also been working on this issue. Josette Roussel working on the Food & Drug Act (section 14-2) to be reopened, hopefully through a Compassionate Drug Program. This will not be an easy change as it has not been opened for 15+ years, but CNA are continuing to bring up this issue and ensure that it will be addressed once the Act is opened. There is a push for a national pharmacare program that may allow the opportunity to reopen the Food and Drug Act.

–       Discussion: Claudia Mariano stated that Dawn Tymianski (NPAO CEO) has an upcoming meeting with a local NP who is championing drug sample distribution at the federal level. She is proposing to bring a motion forward in the House of Commons, with the current Act being a barrier (they just need to add NPs to current language within the Act). Patients are able to access medical cannabis, but not drug samples for those that need them, by NPs.

– Introduction & Update

–       Discussion: Issue with NPs that provide care in multiple jurisdictions who are required to have a license in both and consistency with scope of practice between the various provinces.

–         Lindsey has been assigned within NPAC BOD to take on developing new guidelines for CWC from an NP perspective.

–         Discussion: Claudio Mariano (NPAO) wondering why NPs cannot be included or represented in partnerships with other healthcare providers (ie, physicians) since some of the guidelines are applicable to both groups. CWC guidelines are health provider specific and are group driven. Partnerships would have to be formed for this to happen.

–         Laura Gould (NPNB) states that a partnership was formed between NPs, physicians, and pharmacists to develop specific guidelines to give patients.

–         Discussion: Deb Hart (NPANS) identifies that even amongst health care professions, there is confusion over the NP role and agrees that the NPAC definition of NP provides more clarity and will bring forward the new definition to NPANS executive.

–         Dani Daigle with NNPBC also agrees with Deb and notes that work of NPAC is excellent and doing really important work.

–         Frankie Verville (SANP) also meeting with Sask. regulators to remove registered nurses from their definition of NP. Need a pan-Canadian definition that everyone uses that provides clarity to NP role across the country. NPAC definition could be used for this purpose.

–         CASN was asked to use NPAC NP definition in the E-prescribing Guideline Glossary. New definition has also been shared CNA for use within the organization. The new definition now on NPAC website.

–         Discussion: NP definition has be clear and without confusion for the public and amongst healthcare professions, where there is still confusion regarding the role of NPs. More safe, and politically correct conversations about NP role and definition are needed. Many members stated that they would also like to update their definitions on their provincial websites to reflect NPAC’s definition and agreed with the current language and definition NPAC has developed.

CNFU and with general practitioners within New Brunswick that allows NPs to fill in/replace fee-for-service GPs when they are on leave. NPs will be salaried/shadow billing and cannot bill MCP, but this new model will allow NPs to shine and prove that NPs can do fee-for-service work as well.

– Cindy also on a provincial advisory taskforce (PNATF). Willing to help with the Health Canada work that’s ongoing. Would also like to help with engaging more NPs in advocacy. There is a struggle of not knowing what work NPAC is involved with. Willing to help with communication strategies to promote engagement.

– The CEO at NPAMS (Cindy Fehr) is in a paid role for 20 hours per month. This role provides continuity when members within the executive change out and new members join. Recommended that NPAC also have a person in a paid role that provides that level of continuity and proposed that it be discussed at next AGM.

·         Upcoming Meeting Schedule

·         Required Actions from NP Council

–         Provide any agenda items for future meetings to Lindsey

–         Meeting minutes will be sent to Lenora and Alison for review, and then will be sent to NP Council members for review and any corrections.