Bill 126 explained in plain English
Illegal Pill Press Act, 2017
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Illegal Pill Press Act, 2017, restricts the possession and use of specific pharmaceutical equipment to pharmacists or those supervised by them, operating within accredited pharmacies, and establishes penalties for violations.
This bill, the Illegal Pill Press Act, 2017, amends the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act to create new rules around the possession and use of certain pharmaceutical equipment, referred to as "designated pharmaceutical equipment." This equipment includes pill or tablet presses, tablet machines, capsule filling machines, pharmaceutical mixers, and tablet punches or dies, with potential additions by regulation. Generally, only pharmacists or those supervised by pharmacists, and only within an accredited pharmacy, can possess or use this equipment. There are exemptions for those authorized to manufacture or compound drugs and for others designated by regulation. The bill also sets out penalties for contravening these new rules, including fines and potential imprisonment for individuals.
- Amends the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act.
- Defines "designated pharmaceutical equipment" to include items like pill presses, tablet machines, and capsule filling machines.
- Prohibits individuals from possessing designated pharmaceutical equipment unless they are a pharmacist or acting under a pharmacist's supervision.
- Prohibits the use of designated pharmaceutical equipment unless the user is a pharmacist or acting under supervision, and the use is within an accredited pharmacy.
- Provides exemptions for individuals authorized to manufacture or compound drugs, and for others as specified by regulation.
- Adds new rules for offences related to contravening the new section on designated pharmaceutical equipment.
- Sets out penalties for convictions, including fines and possible jail time for individuals.
- Establishes a limitation period for commencing prosecutions.
- Specifies that the Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Pharmacists
- Persons acting under the supervision of a pharmacist
- Operators of accredited pharmacies
- Individuals and entities authorized to manufacture or compound drugs
- Individuals and entities designated by regulation as exempt
- Enforcement bodies responsible for prosecuting offences under the Act
- Pharmacists and supervised individuals have the right to possess and use designated pharmaceutical equipment within accredited pharmacies.
- Individuals must not possess designated pharmaceutical equipment unless they are a pharmacist or acting under supervision.
- Individuals must not use designated pharmaceutical equipment unless they are a pharmacist or acting under supervision, and the use occurs in an accredited pharmacy.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Fines for contravening section 144.1 can range from $200,000 for a first offence up to $500,000 for a third or subsequent offence. Individuals may also face imprisonment.
- Conviction for contravening section 144.1 can result in fines and, for individuals, imprisonment.
- First offence: fine up to $200,000 or up to six months imprisonment, or both.
- Second offence: fine up to $350,000 or up to one year imprisonment, or both.
- Third or subsequent offence: fine up to $500,000 or up to two years imprisonment, or both.
- Prosecutions must be commenced within two years after the subject matter became known to the Council.
- The definition of "designated pharmaceutical equipment" is subject to qualifications and additions that may be specified by regulations.
- The regulations may designate specific persons who are exempt from the possession and use requirements.
- The bill does not specify which individuals or bodies have the authority to designate persons for exemption.
- The bill does not detail the process or criteria for regulations to be made under the Act.
- The exact date of Royal Assent is not provided in the text.
Introduces new definitions and prohibitions regarding the possession and use of designated pharmaceutical equipment, and establishes offences and penalties for non-compliance.
Source: Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4
Adds a definition for "designated pharmaceutical equipment".
Source: Section 1
Allows regulations to specify items considered "designated pharmaceutical equipment" and to designate persons exempt from the new possession and use rules.
Source: Section 3
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced