If you are an undergraduate in an international pharmacy program, you are not allowed to practice pharmacy in Ontario—even under direct supervision of a pharmacist—until you have graduated AND registered as an intern with OCP (see Step 2 below).
Follow the steps below to register as a pharmacist in Ontario if you are a graduate from an international pharmacy program who passed both parts of the PEBC Qualifying Exam for Pharmacists on the first attempt.
Step 1: Enroll in the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada
- The Gateway is administered by the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
- Create a new Candidate Account
- Pay the enrollment fee
- Once you have received confirmation that you have successfully completed the PEBC Evaluating Exam, you may select Ontario as your provincial regulatory authority (PRA) from your Gateway file
Step 2: Complete College-administered requirements
Activate your online OCP account
- The College will confirm your PEBC results with the Gateway and create your OCP account; you do not have to pay the College’s initial application fee
- Submit supporting documentation of your evidence of identity and your citizenship or status in Canada
Register as an Intern
- Obtain personal professional liability insurance
- Submit a police background check
- Login to your account to apply
- Submit supporting documentation of your evidence of language proficiency. If you have submitted language proficiency test scores to the Gateway, please inform the College by email so that your test scores can be confirmed
- Pay the intern application fee
- The College will confirm your PEBC Qualifying Exam results with the Gateway and create your OCP account; you do not have to pay the College’s initial application fee.
Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism Exam*
- Successfully complete the Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism exam
- Login to your account to apply
- Pay the exam fee
Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE)*
- Successfully complete PACE
- Login to your account to apply
Step 3: Final Application for Certificate of Registration as a Pharmacist
- Obtain/maintain personal professional liability insurance
- Login to your account to apply
- Pay the final application fees
- Pharmacist final application fee
- New registrant annual fee
- Your police background check and evidence of language proficiency must be current to proceed
- Update your personal and practice information, including identifying a Designated Practice Assessment (DPA) site in Ontario
Time & Cost Estimates
Many of the requirements for registration have expiry dates to ensure that your knowledge, skills and judgment are current at the time of your final application. The Fees & Timelines chart lists all registration-related fees and timelines to help you anticipate the time and costs required to register as a pharmacist in Ontario.
An international pharmacy graduate who passed both parts of the PEBC Qualifying Exam on their first attempt, plans ahead to meet application deadlines, and is able to complete each requirement in the minimum time may complete the remaining registration process within four months. Their entire registration process could be completed within 12 months.
Estimated fees paid to the College are $424 plus the annual fee. These fees are outlined in the Schedule of Fees.
Estimated fees paid to third parties are $5,186 plus the annual liability insurance premium. The estimated fees paid to third parties may be higher if the panel decides courses are required.
*Non-exemptible requirement