Canada · Qualifying examHow do you become a pharmacy technician in BC?
- Licence Application Part 1: start it in eServices, upload the documents on the checklist, and pay the application and criminal record check fees. The check starts once you pay.
- Structured Practical Training (SPT): apply in eServices and upload the preceptor and site form.
- Jurisprudence Exam: on hold, see the note after these steps.
- PEBC Qualifying Examination, Parts I and II.
- Licence Application Part 2: once Part 1 and all assessments are done, pay the licence fee, prorated to the March 31 expiry, and get professional liability insurance. Your licence number arrives by email the day after you pay.
Steps 2, 3 and 4 can be done in any order. On the jurisprudence exam, CPBC says: "All future JE sittings have been cancelled until further notice", and applicants "will NOT be affected and may proceed without completing the JE".
How many SPT hours?
It depends on when you graduated. If it was within the 3 years before your SPT start date, you do 160 hours. If it was 3 or more years before, you do 500 hours.
After you are licensed
You enrol in PRIME: step 1 any time, step 2 only after 8 p.m. on the day your full licence is granted. Some services, such as opioid agonist treatment, need extra training. You renew your licence every year, and each renewal needs the College's yearly continuing education.
Sources: CPBC and 3 more. Checked October 2026.
- CPBC: New pharmacy technician graduate from Canada (updated September 9, 2026) ↗
- CPBC: How many hours of SPT am I required to complete? ↗
- CPBC: Pharmacy technician ↗
- CPBC: Professional Development and Assessment Program ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.