Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada for International Pharmacists (Gateway) offers international pharmacy graduates (IPGs) who wish to practise pharmacy in Canada current, complete, and accurate information about licensure in Canada, guiding them through every step in the licensure process for each province. Gateway also provides IPGs educational resources offering valuable insight into pharmacy practice in Canada. In addition to serving as a resource and pathway to licensure for IPGs, Gateway establishes a central and confidential national document repository, thus decreasing the need for IPGs to submit the same documents (copies of pharmacy degrees, university transcripts, language proficiency test results, etc.) to the various organizations involved in the licensure process.

The Gateway team provides support to IPGs as they progress through the various stages of the licensure process and to others interested in the licensure process. A few of the most frequently raised questions are addressed below.

1. How to start the licensure process? And can it be started from outside of Canada?

The first step to start the licensure process is to enrol in Gateway to obtain a National ID number. The National ID number is required is required to apply to the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) for Document Evaluation. Candidates can enrol in Gateway from anywhere in the world.

Candidates who are not required to do the PEBC Document Evaluation are not required to enrol in Gateway. Those who are not certain whether this requirement is applicable to them are advised to visit the website for more information or to contact Client Services.

2. What is the licensure process for this province?

Gateway provides an overview of the licensure process and requirements for each pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA) in Canada in the “How to Apply” section of the website. This section presents a summary of the steps to licensure and related requirements for each province with relevant links to the PRA’s website for more details. Candidates may also wish to contact the PRA directly for more specific information than is provided on the Gateway site.

3. What are the validity periods of the PEBC Document Evaluation, PEBC Evaluating Examination, PEBC Qualifying Examination, and language proficiency test results?

The PEBC Document Evaluation results are valid for five years from the date on the results letter. This means that candidates must successfully complete the PEBC Evaluating Examination while the Document Evaluation results are still valid.

The PEBC Evaluating Examination results do not expire.

The PEBC Qualifying Examination has two parts. Once candidates successfully complete one part, they have three years to successfully complete the second part.

Candidates are advised to visit the PEBC website for further information.

Most language proficiency test results are valid for two years from the date of the examination. This is, however, not always the case. Candidates will find information specific to each PRA on the Gateway website, in the “Language Proficiency Requirement” section of the “How to Apply” page for each province. For further details or for confirmation, candidates are advised to review the language proficiency policy on the website of the PRA in their province or to contact the PRA.

4. How long is the licensure process?

An estimate of the time requirements to complete the licensure process is provided on the Gateway website, on the “How to Apply” page of each province. This estimate is based on a scenario where candidate complete all the requirements on their first attempt.

It is important to note that many factors will influence the time required to complete the licensure process. For instance, multiple attempts to pass an examination or missing an application deadline will add several months to completion time. Furthermore, experiencing delays during the immigration process may, in turn, impede on the licensure process.

As each candidate’s situation is unique, there is no guarantee of the time required to complete the licensure process.

5. How to apply to the PRA? And what are the application requirements?

Candidates are required to apply to their designated PRA to be able to complete the jurisprudence examination and the structured practical training (i.e., internship). The minimum requirements to apply to the PRA differs from one province to another. Candidates are thus advised to review the requirements directly on the relevant province’s page in the “How to Apply” section of the Gateway website.

6. Do the university and country where the candidate received their education affect any of the licensure requirements?

According to the PEBC, the minimum requirement is a professional undergraduate degree in pharmacy that leads to licensure as a pharmacist in the country of education.

In most cases, the university and country where a candidate completed their pharmacy degree does not affect the licensure requirements although they may differ for candidates who graduated from a pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

It should be noted that requirements do differ from one province to another, and there may be additional exemptions depending on the country where the candidate is currently licensed and the province where the candidate is seeking licensure. For example, Nova Scotia offers a streamlined licensure pathway to candidates that hold an active pharmacist license in good standing in Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, or the United States if they have practised sufficient direct patient care in the last two years to maintain their competence to practise. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador also offer similar expedited licensure pathways to candidates licensed in the five countries cited above.

7. How to submit updated documents to the PRA?

Candidates are required to submit updated documents directly to the PRA. The PRA’s website will have specific instructions on how to properly submit the documents. Please communicate directly with the relevant PRA for more information.

Visit the FAQs page of the Gateway website for answers to more frequently asked questions.