Obtaining PPE in Western Ontario (MoH /OH Provincial Pandemic Supply and HMMS Supply Chain)

Regional Request Form (issued within 14 days, up to 8 weeks supply)

Urgent Supply Request Form (issued within 48 hours, 5 days supply or up to 14 days if organization in outbreak)

Details:

Community-based family physicians are eligible to receive PPE at no cost through the province’s pandemic supply. You can submit PPE requests without the expectation that you first attempt to source PPE through your regular supply chain. This program allows for an allocation to providers of up to 8 weeks of PPE supply and will be issued within 14 days.

NOTE: If you currently have a reliable source of PPE that is meeting your needs, the Ministry is advising that you should continue to use your current arrangement.

PPE Program Highlights

• You can request PPE for your office needs, including for your learners (students and residents).
• In our West region – submit your request through the regional request process.
• For more urgent PPE needs, all health service providers can utilize the Urgent Request Form to receive PPE within 48 hours. Up to 5 days of PPE supplies can be accessed via this form for providers not in outbreak. For those organizations in outbreak, up to 14 days can be allocated via an urgent request.

(more details are available in this FAQ document prepared by the Ministry of Health).

PPE available, timelines and inventory survey

• You can request masks (N95 and surgical), gowns (usual is Level 2), gloves, face shields, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer.
• When requesting PPE, you will be asked to input details (i.e., number of patient-facing clinical and non-clinical staff in your practice, number of patients your practice services, etc.), and a standard provincial formula will be applied to determine quantities of each item to be included in your allocation. This information should be included in the final text field of the remedy form that says “Please include any additional comments: ”You will not receive your PPE allocation unless this information is submitted.
• Your allocation will be delivered either to a central depot or directly to your location, with an aim to fulfill requests within 14 business days.

Please contact your Regional Lead with any questions:
West Region Toby O’Hara: hmmscovid19@hmms.on.ca. 

KN95, FFP2/3 (European) and Canadian made CN95/99 non fit tested respirators are good options that are superior to medical masks. Ensure they are either NIOSH-certified (which Health Canada accepts) or Health Canada approved and fit well.

Health Canada approved masks:

NIOSH N95 respirators with an approval number stamped on the device, represented as TC-84A-####n.

95PFE products or CSA certified CA-N95 and CA-N99 type respirators as marked according to the CSA Z94.4.1 standard.

KN95 respirators that meet standard GB 2626-2019.

KF94 respirators that meet standard KMOEL–2017-64.

FFP2 respirators that meet standard EN 149-2001.

More detailed information about approved / certified KN95 type can be found here.

For a list of distributors of respirators see Masks4Canada

For Canadian-specific PPE options: 

Canadian Association of PPE Manufacturers – CAPPEM

Canada Strong

The OMA provided a list of vendors that provide fit testing services in Ontario (we have grouped by region).

Those with HHS hospital privileges* can attend one of the drop-in testing sessions listed here.

• We are clarifying SJHH options
• *note “affiliate” is NOT enough

N95 FIT TESTING AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WITHOUT HOSPITAL PRIVILEGES

SJHH is able to provide N95 FIT testing for community physicians and clinicians who do NOT have hospital privileges. 

SJHH Occupational Health has reconfigured limited availability and created 4 days in January, spread out at all three of our campuses for your convenience.  The dates are as follows:  

• Jan 4^th –    Charlton Classroom C 9am-12pm
• Jan 10^th –  W5th 9am-12pm C220
• Jan 13^th –  King Room 2403  1-3pm
• Jan 19^th –  Charlton Classroom C 1-3:30pm

The link for our the community partners for sign up is – SJHH Community Partner N95 Fit Testing.

After your first symptomatic encounter, your gown, mask and eye protection can be worn for an extended period (i.e., for the remainder of your half day clinic). Please doff your gloves after seeing a symptomatic patient. Regardless of the patient, please perform hand hygiene between each clinical encounter. We hope that extended PPE use will reduce the number of times you will need to don/doff full PPE.