The PEBC is making it easier for some international pharmacy grads to become certified in Canada

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) announced this week that it would be changing the steps required by eligible international pharmacy graduates (IPGs) to make it easier for them to get their entry-to-practice license in Canada. For the IPGs who are eligible, this means they won't have to write the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination and go ahead to the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination part 1. This means that eligible candidates can apply for direct admissions to the November 2025 Qualifying Exam once applications open in May. This new, streamlined qualifying process shortens the time it will take IPGs who meet the eligibility criteria to become licensed pharmacists in Canada. There are two pathways to eligibility. First, graduates of international pharmacy programs that are accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) or the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The second, IPGs who have completed accredited pharmacy programs in a handful of approved countries: Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Or, IPGs who have completed an accredited program in a non-approved country who have had a full, unrestricted pharmacy license from one of the approved countries or the U.S. and have practiced for at least a year in a direct patient care role. The PEBC has a survey tool that IPGs can use to see if they’re eligible. According to the PEBC, these criteria were designed to attract IPGs from countries with similar scope of practice to Canadian pharmacies and whose licensing processes are similar to Canada’s. Shams Qaend, an IPG, inclusion advocate and staff pharmacist in Toronto, says this new change is a long time coming. “I was shocked that [these rules] weren’t there when I came to Canada in 2018.”In a LinkedIn post, Qaend wrote that when she graduated from the University of Jordan, which has a pharmacy program that is ACPE accredited, she was disheartened that the accreditation actually held no weight in Canada—she still had to take all three licensure exams. “I got so depressed; because I knew how much incredible effort my university had put into earning that accreditation,” she wrote. “Among the many challenges we faced in the equivalency process, I asked them: Why doesn’t the board recognize us? Why aren't graduates from Britain, Australia, and accredited universities treated the same as graduates from Canadian universities while we are talking about Diversity, Inclusion and Equity?”Qaend also adds that on top of being great for IPGs wanting to practice in Canada, this simplified process will also be good for the country overall, given the shortage of pharmacists. “And how can we fill this shortage? We can increase the number of [Canadian] pharmacy graduates, or we can work in international pharmacy graduates,” she says. “IPGs are ready to practice, you just have to help them and support them.”Havalee Johnson, a travelling pharmacist and consultant helping IPGs relocate to Canada, says that while the PEBC’s new rules are a fantastic first step in the right direction, there are people who can “make meaningful contributions to Canada and the healthcare system” but are left out of the new eligibility criteria. Johnson adds that the standardized tests the PEBC use as a way to judge eligibility aren’t a true test of someone’s ability to provide care—especially for IPGs who are also juggling the stresses of immigrating to a new country and navigating a system that is totally new to them. “There are so many internationally educated healthcare professions who face systemic and financial barriers to licensure, resettlement and integration into the Canadian healthcare system,” she says. “We need more pharmacists. And if the playing field is not level, and only a few are allowed entry, we aren’t solving the problem.”

The PEBC is making it easier for some international pharmacy grads to become certified in Canada

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