Canada · Qualifying examWho does what, without one Canadian board of pharmacy?
NAPRA is the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities.
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| PEBC | Certifies: document checks, exams, certificate |
| Provincial regulator | Licenses you, with its own steps |
| NAPRA | Runs Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada |
NAPRA also wrote the 2024 competencies the PEBC exam is built on. PEBC certification on its own doesn’t give you the right to practise.
Pharmacy regulators in each province and territory
PEBC lists these regulators:
- British Columbia: College of Pharmacists of British Columbia
- Alberta: Alberta College of Pharmacy
- Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals
- Manitoba: College of Pharmacists of Manitoba
- Ontario: Ontario College of Pharmacists
- Quebec: Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec
- New Brunswick: New Brunswick College of Pharmacists
- Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator
- Prince Edward Island: Prince Edward Island College of Pharmacy
- Newfoundland and Labrador: College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut: each territorial government’s licensing office
Pharmacist licence requirements after PEBC
PEBC says each province adds requirements such as practical experience, language proficiency and a jurisprudence exam on pharmacy law and practice standards. PEBC itself has no language requirement, but the regulators do. PEBC also doesn’t track what each regulator requires, so check with yours before you start any PEBC process you might not need.
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada says each jurisdiction runs its own jurisprudence exam or course. Topics it lists include:
- Conditions of sale, including the National Drug Schedules and the Food and Drugs Act
- Narcotics, controlled drugs and targeted substances
- Dispensing, labelling, transfers, compounding and billing
- Pharmacy operations, ownership and inspections
- Scope of practice and how the regulatory college works
- Ethics, standards, documentation and confidentiality
PEBC can send a licensing statement to a regulator for you, for a fee.
Quebec is different
The Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec runs its own equivalency process and doesn’t require Gateway enrolment. You only need Gateway and PEBC if you choose to get the PEBC Certificate of Qualification and use it as part of your equivalency application.
Streamlined pathways in some provinces
Gateway says pharmacists licensed in Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland or the United States may qualify for streamlined licensing in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia may also have one for people educated in Jordan. Ask the regulator about your eligibility before you enrol in Gateway.
Pharmacy technicians
Pharmacy technicians also certify through PEBC, with a separate Qualifying Examination, and then register with their province. That route has its own course on this site.
Sources: PEBC · Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada and 6 more. Checked November 2026.
- PEBC: About PEBC ↗
- PEBC: Qualifying Examination general information ↗
- PEBC: Canadian graduates ↗
- PEBC: Document Evaluation general information ↗
- PEBC: Welcoming New Leadership (1963 Act of Parliament) ↗
- Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada: Jurisprudence exams ↗
- Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada: PEBC certificate ↗
- Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada: FAQ ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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