Each pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA) requires candidates to complete a structured practical training program and/or an assessment. Completing the training program and assessment as indicated by the PRA ensures that international pharmacy graduates will have experience in a pharmacy patient care setting and can meet the national entry-to-practice competency standards. Each province has a different requirement for the number of hours of structured practical training and the assessment.
Candidates wishing to be licensed in British Columbia must complete their structured practical training through the Canadian Pharmacy Practice Programme (CP3) offered at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The first 12 weeks of this bridging program are conducted in classrooms followed by a session of 12.5 weeks of practicum.
Candidates wishing to be licensed in Ontario must demonstrate their current readiness to safely and independently practise as a pharmacist by successfully completing the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE). The PACE assessment criteria are based on the NAPRA Entry-to-Practice Competencies for Pharmacists. There is no training component in PACE.