General FAQs
Enrolment
Enrolment in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada (Gateway) is a mandatory first step for all international pharmacy graduates who require a Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) Certificate of Qualification. (The PEBC Certificate of Qualification is required in all provinces in Canada except Quebec.) The Gateway is a central database for your original documents and evaluation results. This information can only be viewed by you, PEBC, the pharmacy regulatory authority (once you apply to them) and NAPRA administrators. In addition, it provides the most up-to-date and accurate information about licensure in Canada. Applicants applying for licensure in Quebec do not need to enrol in the Gateway.
No, you do not have to be in Canada to enrol in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. Enrolment can take place from anywhere in the world where there is access to the Internet.
The minimum educational requirement is a four-year undergraduate degree in pharmacy. You are not required to be licensed anywhere in the world to be eligible to start the licensure process in Canada.
Individuals who have graduated from a pharmacy program outside of Canada are considered international pharmacy graduates, regardless of citizenship.
As of August 20, 2014, graduates who obtained their pharmacy education in the United States (U.S.) are required to enrol in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada (Gateway) and receive a national ID number before applying to the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) for the U.S. Document Evaluation and Qualifying Examination. [*This does not apply to U.S. graduates who initiated the certification process with PEBC prior to August 20, 2014.] PEBC will not be able to process applications from U.S. graduates unless a national ID number is provided. The cost to enrol in the Gateway is $340 + tax (if applicable) and is paid via the Gateway.
Graduates who obtained their pharmacy education from an international pharmacy program which is accredited by CCAPP are required to enrol in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada and receive a national ID number before applying to Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) for Document Evaluation and the Evaluating Examination. PEBC will not be able to process applications for Document Evaluation and the Evaluating Examination from graduates of CCAPP internationally accredited programs unless a national ID Number is provided.
The pharmacy regulatory authorities in Canada do not have special recognition or advance standing for graduates from an institution which has an international accreditation by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). Like any international pharmacy graduate (IPG) interested in licensure in Canada, graduates of international programs accredited by CCAPP must follow all the requirements as set out within this website.
The pharmacy regulatory authorities in Canada do not have special recognition or advance standing for graduates from an institution which has an international certification status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Like any international pharmacy graduate (IPG) interested in licensure in Canada, graduates with this certification must follow all the requirements as set out within this website.
It will depend on the type of job and the requirements for that job. Enrolment in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is only required if you choose to pursue licensure as a pharmacist in Canada. Please note that only a licensed pharmacist can identify as pharmacist in Canada.
If you are required to re-apply for Document Evaluation by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC), you are required to enrol in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada first. The national ID number is required for the Document Evaluation application.
A profile is required to purchase the self-assessment tools and is the first step to enrol in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. It is free to set up and will not expire.
The profile does not allow you to apply for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) Document Evaluation. Once you have created a profile, you are required to enrol in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada to obtain your national ID number. The pharmacy regulatory authorities and the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada cannot access and upload documents or test results to a profile.
The national ID number is also called the national identifier number. It is a unique number assigned to a candidate after completing the enrolment in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. The national ID number is a common identifier used throughout the licensure process by all the partners involved in the process (Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada, Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada and the pharmacy regulatory authorities you have applied to).
This requirement indicates that the password must be at least 7 characters long and include an upper case letter, a lower case letter, a number and a symbol such as: [email protected]#$%^&*().
The primary phone number field will only accept ten digits. You may wish to remove or add numbers to meet this requirement. Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada’s primary method of communication is by email. It is unlikely that we will contact you by phone if you live outside of Canada.
Please remember to update your contact information once you are in Canada.
If you encounter any technical difficulties updating your phone number, please contact us by email at [email protected].
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is managed by the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA), a not-for-profit organization. NAPRA uses the enrolment fee to manage the Gateway operations, including hosting the website, maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the information on the website and the data stored in the repository, and providing client services (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time).
A billing address is the address associated with your credit card. The billing address must match what the card issuing bank has on file, or the payment may not go through.
Two items must be completed on this enrolment page. You must select the pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA) of the province where you wish to practise AND agree to the Terms and Conditions. You will be able to move forward to the next page of the enrolment once these two items have been completed.
You may select any PRA if you do not know where you wish to practise. You may change your designated PRA at any time BEFORE applying to the PRA. In some provinces, you are eligible to apply to the PRA after you successfully complete the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) Evaluating Examination. In other provinces, successful completion of one or both parts of the Qualifying Examination may be required.
Each province may have different requirements for licensure. It is recommended that you review each pharmacy regulatory authority and their respective requirements for licensure in addition to the information found in the “How to Apply” section of our website to determine what works best for you.
Upon initial enrolment, you will be able to select one pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA). Once your account has been created, you will have the option to designate additional PRAs with the applicable fee ($340 + tax, if applicable) per additional designated PRA.
You may change your designated pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA) if you have not applied to a PRA through Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. The process is easy:
a. Log into your profile.
b. Click “PRA” on the blue navigation bar.
c. Select the “Update” button.
d. Designate your new PRA.
Once you have applied to a PRA, you cannot change the designated PRA. If you wish to change your jurisdiction of licensure, you must add another PRA. The process to add a PRA is as follows:
a. Log into your profile.
b. Click “PRA” on the blue navigation bar.
c. Select the “Add New” button.
d. Select the PRA from the drop-down list.
e. Accept the terms and conditions.
f. Pay the non-refundable fee of $340 (plus tax, if applicable).
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada was designed to work with a full version of Internet Explorer, Windows 10 Edge, Chrome or Firefox on a desktop or a laptop. It will not work on a tablet or a smartphone unless Windows is enabled and you can use Internet Explorer. If you are still experiencing problems with the enrolment page, please send an email to [email protected]. If possible, please send a screenshot of the problem.
Please send a request by email to [email protected]. Your email should include your name, your date of birth and the date that you enrolled. If possible, please include a copy or a screenshot of your PayPal receipt.
The PEBC ID number is assigned after a candidate applies for Document Evaluation. A candidate cannot apply online for the Evaluating Examination until he has been assigned a PEBC ID number.
The national ID number is assigned to a candidate upon completing the enrolment in Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. It is required on the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) application forms (i.e., Document Evaluation, Evaluating Examination and Qualifying Examination application forms).
The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) and the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) administrators have authority to upload, download and view certain information on your file as required for the purpose of processing your application for licensure. The pharmacy regulatory authority will have the same authority as PEBC and NAPRA once you apply to them. This step is usually done after successfully completing the PEBC Evaluating Examination. Only those required to have access will be given access to your information. Your information is kept completely confidential and will never be sold or made available to the public.
Your national ID number and your profile with Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada will remain active for as long as required, to a maximum of 10 years.
Payment/Refund
PayPal is the only method of payment accepted online. You can use a credit card, with or without a PayPal account, or you can create an account at www.paypal.com and link your bank account information to pay by e-check or debit card.
You can also ask a relative or a friend who is in possession of a valid credit card to pay on your behalf as the information of the payer and the applicant does not have to be the same. Alternatively, you can submit a paper application and pay using an international money order or bank draft drawn on a Canadian bank. If you are interested in this option, please send an email to [email protected] for more information.
13% harmonized sales tax (HST) applies to all payments made from a bank account within Canada or with a credit card registered to someone in Canada. Taxes will not be charged if payment is made from a bank account or credit card registered to someone outside of Canada. For example, if a candidate is living outside of Canada but the payer’s credit card is registered to someone in Canada, 13% HST will be charged. If the credit card (or bank account) is registered to a person outside of Canada, then HST will not apply.
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is not an educational institution; therefore, the fees are not tax deductible. A payment receipt is sent to you after the transaction. We recommend that you keep a copy in your files.
Goods and services purchased through Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada are not refundable. Exceptions may be made, subject to a $50 administration fee. Email [email protected] or call 613-569-9800 for more information.
Language Proficiency Requirements
Language proficiency is a requirement for licensure in all provinces in Canada. However, graduates from an accredited Canadian (CCAPP) or American (ACPE) pharmacy program do not have to submit documentation verifying their proficiency in English. Please refer to the “Language Requirements” section of our website for additional information. If you are still not sure of the requirements, please contact your designated pharmacy regulatory authority directly. It should be noted that in most cases language proficiency results must be submitted directly from the testing centre to NAPRA for review, or, if you have taken the language proficiency test through the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), your results can be made available online through a secure portal.
Language Proficiency is a requirement for licensure in all provinces. Graduates from English pharmacy programs in Canada and the United States do not have to submit documentation verifying their proficiency in English. Please refer to the “What You Need to Know: Language Proficiency” section of the website for additional information.
Some pharmacy regulatory authorities (PRAs) have a policy allowing them to accept non-objective evidence of language proficiency. You may wish to contact the PRA to confirm if you can submit alternative documents demonstrating your language proficiency.
Click here to see a list of accepted language tests with the minimum required scores. Please note that you must meet the minimum requirement for each measured score including the overall.
Acceptable language proficiency scores can be found on the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada (Gateway) website under the “Language Proficiency” section. Once the results have been submitted to the Gateway, you can verify them by checking your personalized licensure model in your Gateway account.
You cannot add the language proficiency results to your profile directly. You may send a scanned copy of your language test results to [email protected], if you completed the Academic Format of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS ). We will confirm your test result directly with IELTS before adding it to your profile.
You may send us a scanned copy of your Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT®) to [email protected] Please ensure that the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) is indicated as the Destination Institution (DI). This will allow us to confirm your results directly with TOEFL before adding them to your profile. Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada will not be able to confirm your TOEFL iBT® results if NAPRA is not the Destination Institution.
To meet the English language proficiency requirement, you must submit the Academic Format of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The General Format does not meet the minimum requirement.
The Destination Institution (DI) code is 7603. We are listed under the institution name “National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities”.
Self-Assessment Tools
Purchasing the self-assessment tools is optional. These tools are designed to help individuals, who wish to practice pharmacy in Canada, assess their expectations, skills, and knowledge about becoming a pharmacist in Canada.
The self-assessment tools are not part of the formal process to obtain a licence in Canada. The tools were developed solely for your personal use.
The Readiness Self-assessment tool is intended to help you become better informed about the Canadian licensing procedures and to make sure you have accurate expectations about the duration, costs, skills and knowledge required to become a licensed pharmacist in Canada.
The Pharmacy Practice Skills and Knowledge Self-assessment Tool was developed to help you determine how your pharmacy skills and knowledge might compare with the standards required for Canadian practice and to help you identify areas where you may require additional education or training.
Other
The next step in the licensure process is to apply for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s (PEBC) Document Evaluation. Please go to PEBC’s website for instructions.
The documents for the Document Evaluation must be submitted to PEBC and not to Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. PEBC’s address is indicated below:
Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada
717 Church Street
Toronto ON M4W 2M4
Canada
On behalf of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) – previously known as the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is responsible for assessing the authenticity of the primary pharmacist qualification – the candidate’s pharmacy degree. After PEBC has completed the Document Evaluation process, PEBC will generate an ECA Report which will be mailed directly to the candidate. You may request the ECA report from PEBC only if you already have applied or are currently applying for the Document Evaluation.
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada and the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) are two separate organizations. Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada cannot confirm the status of your document evaluation. PEBC will release the results to you before updating them in your profile on Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. You may wish to contact PEBC) directly at [email protected] for specific details.
The licensure process for international pharmacy graduates (IPGs) is the same for all the applicants, except those who graduated from an pharmacy program in the United States accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). There is no exception for candidates who studied in the United Kingdom (UK).
The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is the national certification body for the pharmacy profession in Canada. During the licensure process, you will be required to complete the Document Evaluation, Evaluating Examination and both parts of the Qualifying Examination to get the PEBC Certificate of Qualification. This Certificate is required to be licensed in Canada (except for Québec).
The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) has information to help you prepare for the Evaluating Examination and Qualifying Examination. Both webpages below contain instructions, sample questions and review guides specific to each examination.
Evaluating Examination
Qualifying Examination
The PEBC Document Evaluation results are valid for five years from the date on the results letter. This means that you must successfully complete the Evaluating Examination while the document evaluation results are still valid.
The PEBC Evaluating Examination results do not expire.
The PEBC Qualifying Examination has two parts. Once you successfully complete one part, you have three years to successfully complete the remaining part.
As part of your application with the pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA), you must complete the “Apply to PRA” section through your profile with Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada. This will allow the PRA to view your profile information, examination results and documents scanned in by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC).
Please complete the following steps:
1.Ensure you are using a full version of Internet Explorer (on a desktop or laptop).
2.Log into your profile with Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada.
3.Click on “PRA” on the blue bar at the top of the page.
4.Confirm that the appropriate PRA is selected.
5.Click on “Apply”.
Your application will be reviewed in the next business day. A notification email will be sent to you and the PRA once this review is completed.
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada does not have a list of accepted pharmacy programs. During the Document Evaluation, the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) will examine your transcripts and determine whether the courses you took are equivalent to the Canadian standards for entry to practice in pharmacy.
The licensure and immigration processes are separate. Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is not involved in the immigration process. Please contact the Government of Canada for more information regarding the immigration process.
You may appear for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) Evaluating and Qualifying examination while you have a visitor visa.
It is important to note that you will be required to have the appropriate authorization to work in Canada from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) when you are applying to the pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA) of the province where you wish to work. In most provinces, you are eligible to apply to the PRA after you successfully complete the PEBC Evaluating Examination.
Please note that the licensure and immigration processes are separate. Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is not involved in the immigration process. You are responsible for obtaining the appropriate authorizations required during the licensure process from the IRCC.
If you have forgotten your password to login to Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada, you can use the ”Forgot Password” icon on the sign-in page or contact client services. If you have forgotten your username, you will need to contact client services directly by calling 613-569-9800 or emailing [email protected].
Client services operate Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST. Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada is only accessible to candidates by telephone Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, or in writing, by mail or email. The office is not open to the public.
P4T FAQs
The frequently asked questions regarding the Pilot Program to Prepare for Practical Training (P4T) are listed below. Click on the question to read the answer.
Please click here for the general frequently asked questions regarding Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada.
General
The mentorship program is a national pilot program to give international pharmacy graduates, who are pursuing licensure in Canada, the opportunity to gain practical experience in a Canadian pharmacy. This will provide international pharmacy graduates exposure to the operations within the pharmacy and gain hands-on experience outside of the formal licensure process. The mentorship will provide a supportive environment with an experienced mentor, who will work with the international pharmacy graduate to develop and implement a learning plan based on the competencies that pharmacists require.
Participating in the P4T mentorship program is not mandatory in any province or territory. This pilot program aims to help prepare international pharmacy graduates for the practical training and assessment parts of the licensure process. Participation in the mentorship program does not guarantee success in the licensure process.
Mentees and mentors will be matched based on several factors. Priority will be given to:
a. Location;
b. Accessibility of the pharmacy for the mentee; and,
c. Availability
If possible, the following factors will be considered:
d. Mentee learning goals and interests with mentor expertise and experience;
e. Pharmacy profile (clientele, type of practice, hours of operation, computer system, etc.); and,
f. Languages spoken (in addition to English or French)
If the mentorship arrangement is not working well for the mentor or the mentee, one of them must contact NAPRA as soon as possible to discuss options. If the situation cannot be resolved, then NAPRA may search for another match. Another match is pending availability and may not be available immediately and cannot be guaranteed. In the case of misconduct, discrimination, bullying or other serious allegations brought against an individual, NAPRA may ask the participant to leave the program.
Mentees
To apply to be considered as a mentee in the P4T mentorship program, you must:
a. Be an international pharmacy graduate pursuing licensure in Canada;
b. Meet NAPRA language proficiency requirements;
c. Have completed and passed the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s (PEBC) Evaluating Examination;
d. Be legally allowed to work in Canada, with Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status, or refugee status;
e. Be available to participate in a half-day mentorship training and program orientation session;
f. Be available to work at least two shifts per week for a minimum of 15 hours per week over a 4 to 12 week period.
You can apply to the P4T mentorship program through your Gateway profile. Please login at the following link.
NAPRA will respond to you within five business days of submitting a completed application. If the application is accepted, a virtual interview will be arranged. The speed with which you will be matched with a mentor will depend on the availability of mentors in your area. NAPRA will notify you when there is a potential match and will confirm your availability to begin the mentorship program. Please include any important date restrictions you feel application which NAPRA should be aware of when setting up the mentorship.
You may refer a pharmacist to be a potential mentor in the P4T mentorship program and indicate your preference on your application; however, a placement with that particular mentor cannot be guaranteed. The mentors must apply and be accepted to the mentorship program to be considered. Please note that mentors cannot have a close personal relationship, for example related to (spouse, sibling, child or other family member, etc.), or reside in the same residence with the mentee.
A mentee must commit to a minimum of 15 hours per week over a consecutive 4 to 12-week period. The maximum time for a mentorship is 235 hours over 8 to 12 weeks.
A mentee must commit to a minimum of 15 hours per week over a consecutive 4 to 12-week period. The maximum time for a mentorship is 235 hours over 8 to 12 weeks.
Mentors
The role of a mentor is to introduce an international pharmacy graduate to the pharmacy environment in Canada as well as the roles and responsibilities of a pharmacist according to their scope of practice. The mentor will provide coaching and learning opportunities for the mentee outside of the formal licensure process based on a learning plan developed together. The mentor will help the mentee achieve the objectives set out in the learning plan, be available to answer questions and conduct frequent check-ins to see how their learning is progressing.
The requirements to be a mentor are to:
a. Be a pharmacist in Canada, licensed to provide patient care, with at least two years of current patient care experience in a Canadian pharmacy setting;
b. Have previous experience as a mentor, assessor or preceptor;
c. Have an interest and willingness to educate, coach and mentor;
d. Communicate with the owner or manager of the pharmacy to confirm the pharmacy is registered as a business within the P4T program;
e. Be available to:
· a half-day mentor training program orientation session
· Is available to mentor a minimum of 15 hours per week over a 4 to 12 week period.
· to meet one on one with the mentee on a regular basis
· provide structured feedback and update the online learning plan with the mentee
· attend a half-day mentor training program orientation session
You can apply to be a mentor through the Gateway website. You can create a profile, by clicking on the following link.
Businesses and mentors register separately because the role of mentor and the role of a business differ. The business is responsible for managing payment schedules, payroll and administration of the mentees, and is responsible for the confidentiality of personal information. This also allows the business to be associated with multiple mentors and mentees.
The mentor will provide guidance and support to the mentee’s learning; therefore, the mentor profile is set up to interact directly with the mentee’s profile, allowing the mentee and mentor to collaborate actively on each individual’s learning plan.
If you are a mentor and an owner/manager of a pharmacy, you will register as both a mentor and a business.
If you are a mentor, we would ask you to coordinate with the business owner or manager of the pharmacy in which you work to create a profile for the business, so that you may be associated as a mentor in that particular pharmacy environment.
Businesses
Mentees will be paid a minimum of $15 per hour and placed on the employer’s payroll. Employers will be reimbursed for this cost, plus mandatory employment-related costs (MERCS) – i.e. standard tax deductions.
There is up to $2000 available per mentorship in professional fees payable to the business. This is available for the business to compensate for the mentor’s professional time dedicated to supporting the mentee in their learning, and to ensure that the mentor is available to support the mentee as necessary.
We ask that businesses and mentors register separately because the role of business owner is different than that of a mentor, and a business may be associated with multiple mentors and mentees. The role of the business is to add the mentee to payroll and arrange appropriate payment for the mentees. The separate account allows for confidentiality of the business and financial information, as payment is made to the mentees, and as the business is reimbursed for mentee payments and professional fees for the mentors’ time. In cases where a mentor is both a mentor and business owner/manager, registration as both a mentor and a business is required, and your mentor account must be associated to the business account on the Gateway website.