My Canadian Pharmacy Peoples....

[WVUPharm2007]

...what kind of hoops does a US PharmD graduate have to jump through to get licensed in Canada....say, I dunno, Ontario? I looked at their website and it was kind of ambiguous.

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[nerv12345]

i would also like to know this about Alberta!

 

[UATL]

i would also like to know this about Alberta!

Here are some requirements for licensure in Alberta (from the Alberta College of Pharmacists, the licensing body in Alberta):

https://pharmacists.ab.ca/registration_licensure/pharmacists.aspx?id=4870

 

[bananaface]

So, each province licenses independently. Is there any sort of reciprocity in licensing between provinces?

 

[luckyPharmD.stu]

c'mon requiem...help us out here

 

[jefguth]

...what kind of hoops does a US PharmD graduate have to jump through to get licensed in Canada....say, I dunno, Ontario? I looked at their website and it was kind of ambiguous.

I looked into this about two years ago when I was thinking about accepting a seat at UofT. I can't offer the most complete picture for you, but I can tell you that a huge number of pharmacists in Ontario are foreign graduates, but you have the advantage b/c having gone to a US school sets you up for the same licensing track as a Canadian graduate. Basically, you just have to jump the same hoops as any pharmacist from a Canadian program. A family friend who practices pharmacy tells me that there are many many Canadians that complete their PharmD in the US and return to practice in Canada.

The details are laid out here w/ the Ontario College of Pharmacists: http://www.ocpinfo.com/client/ocp/OCPHome.nsf/web/Canada_US+Pharmacy+Graduates

From the college it looks like the biggest hoop you have to jump through is the 12 week internship WHILE you are registered with the college as an intern.

Good luck

 

[jefguth]

So, each province licenses independently. Is there any sort of reciprocity in licensing between provinces?

Yes, there is reciprocity between all of the provinces and territories, except Quebec. The biggest obstacle moving between provinces would be the jurisprudence exam of the respective jurisdiction.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

That's it? Hell, I figure it would take that long to train me to minimum competence....good. But I assume you still have to take competence exam even if you passed the US NAPLEX?

 

[michelle_is_me]

hey guys:

definitely not the expert here.. but i did just look into getting licensed up at BC., since I'll be going down to the states for PharmD school and would like to come back to Canada someday.

it seems that all you have to do is to take the Canadian examination and intern for about 100 hours in BC.

However, i heard from a somebody who knew somebody (yes i don't know how reliable that is) that has taken both the Canadian and the US licensing exam, and said that the Canadian one is substantially more challenging.

why would u want to come up to Canada tho? I think the pay is a lot less up here...

 

[Requiem]

c'mon requiem...help us out here

I'm really not up on the licensing situation bud, my apologies.

I know to transfer between provinces ( & certainly to come into Canada) you have to take each province's respective jurisprudence exam - nothing a few days of study wouldn't handle.

However I think almost every province has a certain # of intern hours where you will work as an intern, not a practicing pharmacist. Some provinces are worse than others, but it's probably 2-3 months work.

National exams would include the NAPLEX and OSCE's.

Bottom line if you want to come here, it isn't too bad - from what I can see. Certainly not years of exams or anything.

 

[fungikid]

Question 47 and 48 in this FAQ addresses your question.

http://www.pharmacy.utoronto.ca/undergrad/admis/sec7.jsp

I can ask my professor who works at OCP about this for you if you want.

 

[michelle_is_me]

Question 47 and 48 in this FAQ addresses your question.

http://www.pharmacy.utoronto.ca/undergrad/admis/sec7.jsp

I can ask my professor who works at OCP about this for you if you want.

actually... i believe the program for international pharmacy graduates at UT is mostly for foreign-trained pharmacists NOT including the US.

wen i looked into BC licensing..there was a whole seperate section for 'international' and another one for 'US and Canada trained'... so I think US-trained pharmacist don't have to jump through as many loopholes and trainings as international pharmacists do.

I sure hope that I am right

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I got the info, basically an American has to:

1. Get the foreign worker thing sorted out with the immigration folk
2. Register, then intern for 3 months
3. Pass the PEBC
4. Pass the law exam

 

[fungikid]

Are you coming up to Ontario?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Are you coming up to Ontario?

The wife really wants to. Toronto is one of me favorite cities.

 

[michelle_is_me]

The wife really wants to. Toronto is one of me favorite cities.

that's nice

 

[luckyPharmD.stu]

toronto is awesome. I'm also considering about moving to Canada...maybe to Vancouver or any other major cities in Ontario.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

toronto is awesome. I'm also considering about moving to Canada...maybe to Vancouver or any other major cities in Ontario.

I can't find any news articles...but they must have a shortage, too. Look at all the openings Shoppers Drug Mart has (they are like the CVS of Canada). There's like 9 opening in Toronto alone.

 

[michelle_is_me]

I can't find any news articles...but they must have a shortage, too. Look at all the openings Shoppers Drug Mart has (they are like the CVS of Canada). There's like 9 opening in Toronto alone.

i live in Vancouver so all the news I hear are regarding my area..

i've talked to many relief pharmacist and it seems that in the Greater Vancouver area there's already a saturation of pharmacists..... many new grads have do relief work for 2-3 years+ before they can get a permanent position... also a lot less pay in the city (ie 35~40bucks an hr)

however, if u're willing to go to smaller towns, that's where all the job openings and much higher pay too

 

[fungikid]

I'm worried about the job market too, because University of Waterloo is opening up a new pharmacy school this January. There are job openings here and there in Toronto, but the pay is less than that of rural areas.

Why does your wife want to come up north? For political/health/personal reasons? Toronto is a great city, but I'm biased because I live here.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I'm worried about the job market too, because University of Waterloo is opening up a new pharmacy school this January. There are job openings here and there in Toronto, but the pay is less than that of rural areas.

I don't really care if I get paid less. As long as we both get paid about $70k, we'll be beyond just fine. Hell, we'd be ahead of the curve making $50k each.
I could get one of those phat lofts on Queen St.....or live in the Northern Suburbs....which is closer to Dave & Busters, anyway....

Why does your wife want to come up north? For political/health/personal reasons? Toronto is a great city, but I'm biased because I live here.

The culture. I've never seen anything quite like it. It's so deliciously weird. It's like if West Virginia was a city. Plus, there are so many cultures...not like NYC where everyone BECOMES Americanized...but where everyone comes together and forms their own melting pot culture. Like what I imagine NYC USED to be back in the 1800s.

I.E. Where else in the world can you play a giant ass thousand man game of capture the flag in a downtown city environment. Nowhere, that's where.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmA9yb7_JVI[/YOUTUBE]

Plus, toplessness is legal....and frankly, I like that in my society.

 

[fungikid]

I must be the boring kid in the group then. I haven't seen or experienced weird stuff like that here. But then again, I've lived in Toronto for 12 years and I haven't even been up the CN Tower - not even once.

I need to get out more.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I saw masses of topless lesbians making out in the street last time I was up there...and had a posse of Asians follow me around. You DO need to get out more often.

 

[fungikid]

Maybe I'm just not out at the right times of day. lol