Document Evaluation

As an international pharmacy graduate, you must follow the 2-step Evaluation Procedure before you can take the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination. Once you have favourably completed the two steps, you will then be eligible to take the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination.

Language Proficiency Tests are not required by the PEBC. However, Provincial Regulatory Authorities do require these tests.

Pharmacists seeking licensure must meet the respective provincial requirements in order to become licensed within an individual province. Therefore, candidates for licensure are advised to contact the regulatory authority for the province in which they are seeking licensure to receive full information regarding language fluency requirements.

Beginning August 20, 2014, all international pharmacy graduates (IPGs) who wish to obtain a licence to practise pharmacy in Canada will follow a new procedure*.  The term IPGs refers to pharmacists who have obtained their pharmacy education outside of Canada.

Canada’s pharmacy regulatory authorities (PRAs) have entrusted their national association, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA), to develop a new, streamlined national approach to facilitate the licensure process for IPGs.

This program – the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada – will now be the first point of access rather than the PRA.  To help IPGs navigate the licensure process and facilitate their preparation for licensure in Canada, the Gateway provides a website with key information online and by telephone support and features two self-assessment tools which assist IPGs to make an informed decision before starting the process to become licensed as a pharmacist in Canada.  For IPGs wishing to practise in Canada, the process of obtaining a licence begins with enrolment in the Gateway.

As a key collaborator in this program, The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) will continue its involvement in the areas of document evaluation and the delivery of the Evaluating and Qualifying Examinations.

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is designated by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada as of January 6, 2014 to provide Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) for Principal Applicants intending to apply under the “Express Entry for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class” for immigration to Canada and for whom Pharmacist would be the primary occupation for their application to immigrate to Canada. Please see the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website for more information.

In addition to applying for Document Evaluation, applicants under the “Express Entry for Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class” must complete the Request Form for an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Report.

• An ECA can give you early feedback on how your credentials compare to those in Canada. This report may also be a benefit when you are looking for a job; however, be mindful that being assessed does not guarantee you will get a job in your field or at a certain level. Please check www.jobbank.gc.ca to learn more about the job market outlook for your occupation in the specific region where you plan to settle. This is critical as currently there is NOT a shortage of pharmacists in urban centres across Canada.
• An ECA also does not mean that your work experience and professional credentials are automatically recognized or will be recognized for licensure in Canada. If you work in a regulated profession, you must still go through the process of getting your licence in the province or territory that you plan on settling in. Regulatory authorities determine an applicant’s readiness for licensure by assessing and recognizing “qualifications” which may include an assessment of education, experience/competencies and language proficiency in addition to other requirements.
• If you plan to work in an occupation that is regulated in Canada, you should contact the regulatory authority in the province where you plan to live as soon as possible. They can give you information about the process for being licensed, including steps you can take before you leave your home country.

On behalf of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), PEBC is responsible for assessing the authenticity and equivalency 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 emailed directly to the candidate.   It is the candidate’s responsibility to submit the ECA Report to CIC, since CIC only accepts original assessments directly from applicants.

For all matters regarding immigration, please contact your local Immigration Authorities directly. PEBC cannot provide information or answer questions about immigration and cannot provide help with training, employment or living accommodations.