How to Become a Canadian Pharmacist

Pharmacy, the dispensing of drugs and medicines, is a vital and exciting part of the health care profession. While most people encounter pharmacists in retail drug stores, pharmacists can also work in hospitals and other medical institutions, in research settings, and for the government. Pharmacy is a high-paying field and pharmacists are always in demand. If you're planning a pharmacy career in Canada, there are several steps you'll need to take.

Instructions

1. Graduate from a Canadian University Pharmacy program. There are 10 Pharmacy schools across Canada, and most provinces have one. Ontario and Quebec have two each, while others are located in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. These Pharmacy programs are part of standard four-year University offerings and you'll graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacy.

2. Complete your apprenticeship/internship hours. In addition to your degree, you'll need several hundred hours of practical training. Since pharmacists are licensed at the provincial level, the exact particulars will depend on which province you're in. But it's a serious requirement. In Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, the requirement is 32 weeks at 35 hours/week. In Manitoba it's 360 hours over 9 to 15 weeks. In some cases you may be able to put in some of these hours while in school, but most provinces require at least some of this experience to be gained after graduation.

3. Demonstrate language fluency. Again the particulars will depend on your province. But you'll be required to demonstrate fluency in English, or French if you're in Quebec. In general, simply having graduated from your pharmacy program will be taken as evidence of fluency in the appropriate language, but there are fluency standards and tests that can be brought to bear if there's some reason to question your fluency.

4. Satisfy the legal requirements. Since pharmacists take responsibility for the health of patients, and dispence dangerous controlled substances, the field has specialized legal requirements. In general, you'll have to demonstrate an understanding of the legal aspects of pharmacy. In some provinces, this requirement will be rolled into your undergraduate curriculum, and you'll demonstrate this qualification as one of the requirements for graduation. But some provinces, like British Columbia, have their own separate Jurisprudence Exam.

5. Take the qualifying exam. To become a licensed pharmacist in Canada, you'll have to pass the national qualifying exam given by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada. The test is in two parts. Part I is a multiple choice exam given in two sittings over two consecutive half days. Candidates then get a couple days off to recover and study before taking Part II. In Part II, candidates rotate through a series of "stations" that present 7-minute tasks where the candidate must demonstrate competence in a number of different skills under realistic field scenarios. These tasks are observed and graded by Board examiners. The test cycle is usually given twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. You must have your pharmacy degree in order to take the test. If you're a graduating senior, you can apply before graduation and get a conditional admission to the test that depends on completing your degree before the test date.

Tips & Warnings

• All this assumes that you're a Canadian citizen just starting out on your pharmacy career. If you're already a pharmacist from another country and are immigrating to Canada, the same basic requirements apply. You may well be able to meet many of them with qualifications and experience from your home country, but every case is different. There are two programs, the International Pharmacy Graduate Program at the University of Toronto, and the Canadian Pharmacy Practice Programme at the University of British Columbia, designed to help foreign-licensed pharmacists obtain the required qualifications to practice in Canada.

Resources

• The Canadian Pharmacists Association
• The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada