Applicants > Registration Requirements > Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE)

Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE)

Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) is the College’s practice-based assessment. PACE assesses an applicant’s readiness to safely and independently practice as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician performing the authorized acts of the profession.

Registration Requirement

Successful completion of PACE is a registration requirement for:

  • Ontario pharmacist applicants who graduated from a pharmacy degree program outside of Ontario and who are applying for licensure as a pharmacist in Canada for the first time
  • Ontario pharmacy technician applicants applying for licensure as a pharmacy technician in Canada for the first time


How PACE Works

  • In the online application, a candidate selects from a list the city where they want to complete their PACE and a practice site address where a PACE assessor practices. Candidates must choose a practice site which they have not worked or volunteered at, and where they have no prior relationship with the staff.
  • After a 1-week (35 hours) orientation period at the PACE practice site, the candidate practices under the direct supervision and observation of the PACE assessor for a 70-hour assessment over a 2–3-week period.
  • The PACE assessor evaluates and measures the candidate’s practice-readiness using assessment criteria based on the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authority (NAPRA) Entry-to-Practice Competencies.


Expiry and Validity Dates

  • PACE must be successfully completed within two years before applying to register as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician.
  • Pharmacy technician applicants who successfully completed SPT before the end of March 2025 will be considered to have met the practice-based registration requirement for two years from the end date of their SPT.  Applicants who have not fully registered as a pharmacy technician within two years after meeting the practice-based registration requirement through SPT will be required to successfully complete PACE. 


Resolutions and Policies

  • The OCP Board of Directors has approved one resolution regarding PACE (resolution number 6).
  • The Registration Committee has approved policies related to PACE.

Process

Pharmacist Applicant

Before applying for PACE, pharmacist candidates:

  • Must register as an intern to have the legal authority to perform the authorized acts of the profession.
  • Should gain experience practicing in the scope of the profession.
  • Should get student accident insurance (sometimes called accidental death and dismemberment or AD&D insurance) if you are not employed by the organization where you are completing PACE.

Preparing for PACE

Apply for PACE

  • Access and complete the online application through the OCP portal. As part of the application, you will select the city where an appointed assessor is available and you would like to complete PACE. You will also select a proposed start date.
  • Do not reach out to a potential assessor directly. Doing so could lead to a bias and could make you ineligible to complete PACE at that location. Only apply for PACE through your OCP profile.
  • Your application will be processed by College staff within 10 business days.

PACE Results

  • At the end of the PACE assessment, and after you have submitted your practice journal, the assessor rates your performance using the Ontario Pharmacy Patient Care Assessment Tool (OPPCAT).
    • Assessors are trained on how to use the OPPCAT in a standardized manner and are required to re-standardize their use of the ratings every year.
  • Once the assessor has submitted the OPPCAT to the College, the outcome of your assessment will be determined by a standardized scoring rubric. A College registration advisor will review the OPPCAT and your outcome before the result is released to you.
  • You will receive your PACE results within 10 business days after the assessor submits the OPPCAT.
  • If you have demonstrated entry-to-practice competency through PACE, you will have met the practice-based registration requirement.
  • If you have not demonstrated entry-to-practice competency through PACE, you will be required to engage in development before you may re-attempt PACE.

Pharmacy Technician Applicant

Before applying for PACE, pharmacy technician candidates:

  • Must register as an intern technician to have the legal authority to perform the authorized acts of the profession.
  • Should gain experience practicing in the scope of the profession.
  • Should get student accident insurance (sometimes called accidental death and dismemberment or AD&D insurance) if you are not employed by the organization where you are completing PACE.

Preparing for PACE

Apply for PACE

  • Access and complete the online application through the OCP portal. As part of the application, you will select the city where an appointed assessor is available and you would like to complete PACE. You will also select a proposed start date
  • Do not reach out to a potential assessor directly. Doing so could lead to a bias and could make you ineligible to complete PACE at that location. Only apply for PACE through the OCP portal. 
  • Your application will be processed by College staff within 10 business days.

PACE Results

  • At the end of the PACE assessment and once you have submitted your practice journal, the assessor will rate your performance using the Tool for Assessment of Pharmacy Technician Applicants (TAPT).
    • Assessors are trained on how to use the TAPT in a standardized manner and are required to re-standardize their use of the ratings every year.
  • Once the assessor has submitted the TAPT to the College, the outcome of your assessment is determined by a standardized scoring rubric. A College registration advisor will review the TAPT and your outcome before the result is released to you.
  • You will receive your PACE results within 10 business days after the assessor submits the TAPT.
  • If you have demonstrated entry-to-practice competency through PACE, you will have met the practice-based registration requirement.
  • If you have not demonstrated entry-to-practice competency through PACE, you will be required to engage in development before you may re-attempt PACE.

PACE Model

This diagram shows the PACE process. The phases of the PACE process are explained below.

the PACE process infographic

Orientation Phase – 35-hour Orientation to the PACE Practice Site

During the PACE orientation, the candidate:

During the PACE orientation, the assessor:

Note: the 35-hour orientation phase cannot be extended or shortened.

Every PACE candidate must undergo the orientation and assessment phases consecutively with no pre-planned breaks (e.g., vacation) permitted during or between the phases.

Assessment Phase – 70-hour Assessment by a PACE Assessor Completed Over Two or Three Weeks

During the PACE assessment, the candidate:

  • Practices in the full scope of practice under the direct supervision of their assessor at the assessor’s primary practice site;
  • Demonstrates their readiness to practise as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician in a safe, effective and independent manner;
  • Can only practise while their assessor is present; and
  • Maintains a practice journal with a minimum number of entries describing the care they provided and other situations they managed. These practice journal entries allow the assessor to assess the knowledge and judgment the candidate applied in their practice.

During the PACE assessment, the assessor:

  • Provides the candidate opportunities to demonstrate all the competency domains and elements of the relevant PACE Assessment Criteria (see Assessment Criteria for pharmacist applicants and Assessment Criteria pharmacy technician applicants);
  • Must be physically present and observe their candidate’s practice at all times;
  • Assesses the candidate’s knowledge, skills and ability according to the PACE Assessment Criteria;
  • Does not provide the candidate with practice training; and
  • Does not provide the candidate with feedback about their performance.

Note: the 70-hour assessment period cannot be extended or shortened.

Every PACE candidate must undergo the orientation and assessment phases consecutively with no pre-planned breaks (e.g., vacation) permitted during or between the phases.

Development Phase (If Required) – Self-Directed Period of Learning and Practice to Prepare for the Next PACE Attempt

If a candidate is unsuccessful in PACE, they:

  • Will receive a performance profile in their PACE portal that identifies the relative strengths and gaps in their performance according to the domains and elements of the PACE Assessment Criteria;
  • Are strongly encouraged to book an appointment to speak with a College registration advisor after reviewing their performance profile.
    • The registration advisor will recommend resources and offer support as the candidate prepares a learning action plan based on the performance gaps identified in their PACE assessment.
  • Are required to implement their learning action plan with a coach at the coach’s practice site.
    • The candidate and their coach will decide when the candidate has met the goals of their learning action plan and is ready to re-attempt PACE with a different PACE assessor at another practice site.

Help Candidates Prepare for PACE

Candidates Preparing for PACE

Pharmacy managers, owners and employers are needed to provide opportunities for candidates preparing for PACE to become comfortable practicing in the scope of practice as an intern or intern technician, and to be familiar with the pharmacy software systems.

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can train candidates and provide feedback to help them improve their competency. Candidates are ready for PACE when they and their supervising pharmacy professional(s) believe they can practice safely and independently.

Unsuccessful PACE Candidates

Candidates who are unsuccessful in their PACE are required to undergo development and will be given a profile listing the practice performance gaps identified during their PACE assessment. The candidate is expected to prepare a learning action plan to address their performance gaps and to find a pharmacy professional coach who will guide their self-directed, individualized training and help them prepare for their next PACE attempt. The training could include identifying and discussing with the candidate relevant study materials (e.g., learning modules, practice tools) that will improve their knowledge, and defining or identifying suitable practice opportunities to help the candidate apply their knowledge to improve their skills and abilities.

Before agreeing to be someone’s pharmacy professional coach, the coach should discuss with the candidate if they and their practice site meet the characteristics candidates are advised to look for in the FAQs for PACE Applicants section below.

The Coaching Pharmacist Toolkit for PACE (Pharmacist Applicants) and the Pharmacy Professional Coach for PACE Toolkit (Pharmacy Technician Applicants) provide coaches with information and resources to support a PACE development candidate, depending on the type of applicant the coach is supporting. The Supervision of Pharmacy Personnel Policy provides further details on the level of supervision required for interns and intern technicians.

FEATURED RESOURCES

FAQs

  • Yes, candidates may select a site that is part of their employer’s organization provided they have not trained, worked or volunteered at that site, and they have no prior relationship with the staff. For example, a candidate’s PACE practice site could be part of the same hospital network or the same pharmacy chain or banner of their current workplace. Candidates must declare their relationship to the practice site on the online application. A College registration advisor will review the circumstances to determine if the candidate and their proposed assessor will be allowed to complete PACE together. Please review the bias or conflict of interest in PACE document to understand how the assessor’s ability to objectively assess a candidate may be affected.

    If you are currently employed as an intern technician at an in-patient hospital pharmacy and are looking for a hospital-based PACE site, please e-mail [email protected] with your name and OCP number before applying for PACE. An OCP staff member will confirm your place of practice and provide you with next steps.

  • No, candidates may not take a vacation break during or between their orientation and assessment phases. Candidates should not plan any time off until at least four weeks after their PACE start date to ensure sufficient time to complete their entire assessment. If an unexpected illness or emergency arises during a candidate’s PACE, they must contact the College as soon as possible by e-mailing [email protected].

  • Yes, testing accommodations are provided as outlined in the Application Process section of the PACE policy. The online PACE application asks if the candidate requires testing accommodations. Requests for accommodation must be received by the College with no less than six weeks’ notice before a candidate’s preferred PACE start date.   

  • If a situation develops during the assessment period that a candidate believes may have affected their performance, they should immediately inform their assessor and/or a College registration advisor by emailing [email protected]. Candidates should also review the PACE Administration Appeals policy.

  • If candidates need to or decide to discontinue PACE at any time after their start date has been confirmed and before the end of their assessment, they must immediately inform the College at [email protected] and provide their reason(s) for not being able to complete PACE.

  • You choose your own pharmacy professional coach. The coach you choose should be someone you believe genuinely wants to help you succeed in preparing for your next PACE attempt. You could ask your PACE assessor to be your coach, but they are not required to do so.

    Your pharmacy professional coach should:

    • Provide care to patients on a regular basis;
    • Be proficient in their ability to provide feedback and guidance;
    • Be in good standing with OCP with no terms, conditions or limitations on their certificate of registration (see OCP’s Public Register for this information);
    • Demonstrate professionalism;
    • Model effective communication with patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals;
    • Be aware of and up to date on developments in practice;
    • Support and understand the PACE model;
    • Promote patient-centred care; and
    • Have teaching or preceptor experience (optional).

    Your coach’s practice site should:

    • Promote patient-centred care;
    • Provide sufficient practice opportunities to meet the candidates learning action plan goals and address their competency gaps (e.g., suitably high prescription count, variety of patients);
    • Be a positive environment with sufficient staffing conducive to teaching and learning; and
    • Have passed its recent pharmacy assessment and is entitled to operate in Ontario (see OCP’s Public Register).

  • If you fail PACE twice, you will have to:

    1. Make a request to a panel of the Registration Committee. The request should explain what the candidate has done to improve their practice competence since their first PACE attempt. The panel may order the candidate to complete additional education, examinations and/or training before they may apply to re-attempt PACE.
    2. Pay a reassessment fee (see line 21) to gain access to the PACE application.

    Both these requirements will apply to the third and any subsequent PACE attempts.

  • PACE assessors directly supervise and observe a candidate to help the College determine if that candidate has met the practice-based registration requirement. Being a PACE assessor is a voluntary role.

    Assessors orient the candidate to their practice site for one week (35 hours), and then directly supervise and observe the candidate throughout a 70-hour assessment period to assess their knowledge, skills and abilities. During the assessment, the assessor must also review documentation of cases describing actual practice situations the candidate managed at the PACE practice site and has posted in a secure online portal. At the end of the assessment, the assessor rates the candidate’s ability to demonstrate the entry-to-practice competencies.

    The assessor does not train the candidate how to practise pharmacy and does not provide feedback to the candidate about their performance during the assessment. Pharmacists or pharmacy technicians interested in training and helping candidates prepare for PACE may prefer to be a professional coach instead. Please see the “Help Candidates Prepare for PACE” section below.

  • To be a PACE assessor, applicants must meet the PACE Assessor Criteria which includes:

    • Providing patient care as a pharmacist in Canada for at least two years (to assess pharmacist or pharmacy technician applicant candidates) OR providing patient care support activities as a pharmacy technician in Canada for at least two years (to assess pharmacy technicians applicant candidates).
    • Being in good standing with the College and (if applicable) having a practice assessment which meets standards in most areas. 
    • Currently practicing a minimum of 24 hours per week (or has applied with a co-assessor with whom they can share responsibility for observing a candidate for the required 24 hours per week) in an accredited pharmacy practice site in Ontario that supports a diverse patient population and delivers a wide range of pharmacy services in the full scope.
    • Working for an organization that supports the requirements of the PACE model.

    Please review the PACE Assessor Criteria for more details about the expectations for assessors.

  • PACE assessors spend about 100 hours with each PACE candidate in their primary practice site (i.e., the location approved as part of the PACE assessor appointment). The estimated 100 hours consist of an orientation week and the 70-hour assessment.

    During the PACE orientation week, assessors are required to arrange a 35-hour orientation for their candidate based on the orientation checklist. Assessors may delegate parts of the orientation week to another staff member.

    Throughout the 70-hour PACE assessment, assessors are required to directly supervise and observe their candidate as they practise. Assessors must also review the case documentation that their candidate posts and submit their ratings of the candidate’s performance.

    PACE assessor must complete annual online training to recalibrate their use of the assessment tool (i.e., OPPCAT and/or TAPT) and maintain their assessor appointment. This usually takes one to two hours per assessment tool to complete. Every three years, assessors will be invited to attend a re-appointment and skills development workshop if they wish to renew their assessor appointment.

  • Available PACE assessors will have their practice site address listed as an option for candidates to select in an online application process. Once selected by a candidate, the assessor will receive an email with the candidate’s name and proposed start date. If the assessor has no previously established relationship with the candidate and the start date suits their schedule, they may accept their request. If the assessor has an actual or potential bias or conflict of interest with the candidate, or the start date does not suit their schedule, the assessor should inform the College through the online application process or by e-mailing [email protected]. The assessor’s name will only be shared with the candidate once the assessor has accepted their request.

  • No, assessors may not take a vacation break during or between their candidate’s orientation and assessment phases. If an assessor is planning to take some time off and has received a request to be an assessor, they should inform College staff on the application or by email to [email protected] that they may not be available during the proposed time. College staff will contact the assessor about their availability for the candidate. If an unexpected emergency or illness occurs during PACE, the assessor should reach out to the College as soon as possible by e-mailing [email protected].

  • If you are interested in applying to be a PACE assessor for pharmacist applicants, please complete the application form, and submit it to [email protected].

    If you are interested in applying to be a PACE assessor for pharmacy technician applicants, please complete the community or long-term-care based application form or the hospital based application form, and submit it to [email protected].

    When reviewing your assessor application and College file, the registration advisor will look for how you have demonstrated:

    • Understanding of and commitment to the Standards of Practice and the Code of Ethics using your most recent practice assessment report if available (and with your consent).
    • Advocacy for outstanding patient care and public protection.
    • Experience in providing objective evaluation of pharmacy program students, pharmacy professional applicants or pharmacy personnel.
    • Excellent communication and documentation skills.

    The College may contact you and your reference for further information. You will be informed of the decision on your application within six weeks.

    If your assessor application is accepted, you must successfully complete assessor training which includes attending an online assessor training workshop before being appointed to be a PACE assessor.

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