Resources
Practical, plain-language guides on narcotic reconciliation and controlled-substance recordkeeping for Canadian pharmacies.
Free downloadControlled substance count sheets & log templates
Five printable PDFs built for Canadian pharmacies — perpetual log, a filled-in example, shift-change count sheet, physical count and periodic inventory form — plus an editable spreadsheet that calculates the balance. No account needed.
Get the sheets →Free toolWhat does your narcotic count actually cost you?
A calculator for Canadian pharmacies — hours per count, variance investigations and payback in months, with every constant published on the page beside its source. Nothing is gated.
Run the numbers →The softwareControlled substance tracking software
What NarcCount actually does, what it deliberately does not do, and how it differs from your dispensing system — for when the sheets stop being the fastest way to find a variance.
What it does →Buyer’s guideNarcotic reconciliation software in Canada
The purpose-built tools a Canadian pharmacy can buy, each described from its vendor’s own page, and six questions to put to any of them before you sign. NarcCount is listed first and disclosed as ours; nothing is ranked.
Read the guide →A narcotic reconciliation, worked end to end
One drug, one six-month window, the numbers written out — and three real causes of a variance worked through to zero.
Read →What to do after a narcotic discrepancy: a step-by-step
A controlled substance didn't reconcile. Here's a calm, methodical way to find the cause — and know when a loss actually has to be reported.
Read →How often must Ontario pharmacies count narcotics?
Ontario's OCP expects narcotics reconciled every six months. Nova Scotia and PEI monthly; Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland every three.
Read →Health Canada loss or theft reporting: a step-by-step for pharmacies
A loss or theft of a controlled substance is reported to Health Canada within 10 days of discovering it. What to gather, who submits it, and where the form is.
Read →CDSA recordkeeping: what to keep, and for how long
At least 2 years federally (three regulations, one per drug class); at least 10 years in Ontario (O. Reg. 264/16 s. 21). What to keep, and in what form.
Read →Preparing for a narcotics inspection: a pharmacy checklist
An inspector may ask to see how you manage controlled substances. A little preparation makes it routine — here's a practical checklist.
Read →Is a narcotic discrepancy reportable? Loss vs. theft vs. an explained variance
Not every count discrepancy is a reportable loss. What decides it is whether you can explain the variance, not whether it came out high or low.
Read →How Long Does a Pharmacy Keep Records in Canada?
In Ontario, pharmacy records are kept at least 10 years (O. Reg. 264/16 s. 21). Federally, controlled-substance records are kept at least 2 years.
Read →Controlled Substance Inventory Frequency in Canada
Narcotic reconciliation intervals by province, from monthly in Nova Scotia and PEI to twice a year in Ontario, and how to run each count well.
Read →Drug Diversion Within a Pharmacy: Definition, Warning Signs and Response
What drug diversion inside a pharmacy looks like, how to tell it from a record error, the patterns worth watching, and the controls that deter it.
Read →Narcotic Log Book Template: Columns, Worked Entries and Corrections
The columns a narcotic log book needs, a worked page of entries, what separates a good entry from a weak one, and how to correct a mistake.
Read →Methadone Accountability Log: Reconciling by Volume
How pharmacies keep a methadone balance in mL: a worked daily log, normal measurement variance, pump calibration checks, and witnessed and carry doses.
Read →Perpetual Inventory System Example for Pharmacies
A worked perpetual inventory example for a narcotic, the formula behind it, why balances drift, and how to keep a spreadsheet version honest.
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