Why work in Canada as a Pharmacist?
- Canada has 1 million job vacancies and each day more are being added
- The average annual salary for a Pharmacist in Canada is 104,646 CAD.
- Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Quebec has good job opportunities for Pharmacists.
- The highest pay for a Pharmacist in Canada is 112,199 CAD.
- There are 13 immigration pathways for Pharmacists in Canada.
About Canada
Sean Fraser, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada released the Immigration Levels Plan 2023–2025. The plan puts a spotlight on the role of immigration in:
- Resolving the workforce shortage in the country
- For businesses to search for employees
- Attracts the required talent and skills needed in sectors, such as:
- Health care
- Technology
- Skilled trades
- Manufacturing
Immigration helps in addressing the socio-economic challenges that Canada would face.
In 2021, 405,000 international individuals were welcomed in Canada. It was a record-breaking number of immigrants that Canada welcomed in one year. The Canadian federal government has set a new target for 2023 to 2025. The details of Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 are given below:
| Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 | |
| Year | No. of new immigrants |
| 2023 | 82,880 |
| 2024 | 1,09,020 |
| 2025 | 1,14,000 |
Job trends in Canada, 2023
The Canadian economy is among the flourishing economies in the world. It has recovered after the global pandemic but is suffering due to the critical shortages in the workforce causing issues to businesses and workers in Canada.
Canada is one of the most-opted destinations for immigrants. The policies for immigration to Canada make it easy for foreign nationals to migrate and settle in Canada. Foreign nationals find the standard of living, ample job opportunities, medical benefits, and safety attractive.
The table given below shows the job trends in Canada for 2023.
| 2023 Job Trends in Canada | ||
| Provinces | Vacancy rate | Job Vacancies |
| Quebec | 4.10% | 1,17,700 |
| British Columbia | 3.70% | 67,100 |
| Ontario | 3.30% | 1,67,900 |
| New Brunswick | 2.70% | 6,300 |
| Manitoba | 2.60% | 11,300 |
| Nova Scotia | 2.60% | 7,900 |
| Alberta | 2.60% | 41,800 |
| Saskatchewan | 2.00% | 6,900 |
| Prince Edward Island | 1.50% | 700 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 1.30% | 2,100 |
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Meet the new NOC 2021 codes applicable from November 16, 2022
Pharmacist, TEER code – 31120
Hospital and community pharmacists dispense prescribed medicines and offer consultative services to clients as well as health care providers. They are employed in health center pharmacies and retail sectors, or they can opt to be self-employed.
Industrial pharmacists are involved in the research, progress, promotion, marketing, and manufacture of pharmaceutical products. They are employed in pharmaceutical companies and government agencies and departments.
The job duties for Pharmacists are given below:
- Community and hospital pharmacists
- Evaluate prescriptions for suitable dosage
- Provide prescribed pharmaceutical products by measuring, calculating, and combining the quantities of drugs and other elements required for filling suitable containers with the apt quantity
- Offer prescribed medications to patients, customers, or healthcare professionals
- Advise patients, customers, or health care professionals on indications, contra-indications, drug dosage and interactions, and adverse effects
- Maintain profiles for medication for customers like a registry of poisons, narcotics, and controlled drugs
- Maintain proper preparation, distribution, packaging, and storage of serums, vaccines, biologicals, drugs, and pharmaceuticals
- Order and maintain the inventory of pharmaceutical supplies
- Advise patients, customers, or healthcare professionals on the selection and usage of non-prescription medication
- Renew already existing prescriptions in restricted circumstances
- Adapt the formulation, order, duration, or way of administration of medication
- Supervise and synchronize the activities of other pharmacy assistants, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other staff.
The job duties of Industrial pharmacists are:
- Be involved in research for developing new drugs
- Formulate products for new drugs developed by medical researchers
- Test new drugs for stability and to assess patterns of absorption and elimination
- Conduct clinical investigations of new drugs
- Maintain the quality of drug products while producing to ensure that they fulfill the standard parameters of potency, uniformity, purity, safety, and stability
- Compose information regarding the uses, attributes, and risks of specific drugs
- Evaluate packaging, labeling, and promotion of drug products
- Advertise pharmaceutical products to health professionals.
The job titles held by Pharmacists are:
- Clinical pharmacist
- Hospital pharmacist
- Community pharmacist
- Pharmacist
- Industrial pharmacist
- Retail pharmacist
Prevailing wages of Pharmacists in Canada
The average annual income of a Pharmacist in Canada is 104,646 CAD.
The highest income for Pharmacists in Canada is 112,199 CAD, whereas the lowest income is 75,148 CAD.
| Income of Pharmacists in Canada | |
| Community/Area | Annual Income (in CAD) |
| Quebec | 112,199 |
| Alberta | 111,536 |
| Manitoba | 110,436 |
| Saskatchewan | 109,108 |
| Ontario | 101,646 |
| New Brunswick | 98,894 |
| British Columbia | 98,725 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 97,557 |
| Nova Scotia | 93,743 |
| Northwest Territories | NA |
| Nunavut | NA |
| Prince Edward Island | NA |
| Yukon Territory | NA |
Eligibility criteria for Pharmacist
The eligibility criteria for Pharmacists in Canada are given below:
- An undergraduate degree in pharmacy is necessary.
- Practical training is required for Pharmacists under the supervision of a senior pharmacist.
- License is required in all the Canadian provinces and territories for hospital and community pharmacists.
Pharmacist - Number of vacancies in Canada
The job prospects for Pharmacists in various provinces and territories of Canada are given below:
| Job Prospects for Pharmacists in Canada | |
| Location | Job Prospects |
| Alberta | Good |
| British Columbia | Moderate |
| Manitoba | Very good |
| New Brunswick | Good |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Moderate |
| Northwest Territories | Undetermined |
| Nova Scotia | Moderate |
| Nunavut | Undetermined |
| Ontario | Good |
| Prince Edward Island | Good |
| Quebec | Moderate |
| Saskatchewan | Good |
| Yukon Territory | Undetermined |
How can a Pharmacist migrate to Canada?
There are multiple routes one can opt for when migrating to Canada as a Pharmacist but the most popular 4 ways are:
- Express Entry system
- Provincial Nominee Program
- The Rural and Northern Immigration Program
- The Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Detailed information about the immigration pathways for Pharmacists is given below:
-
Express Entry
The Express Entry system is the most opted choice for migrating to Canada as a Pharmacist. It is one of the simplest ways to immigrate to Canada. If the candidate fulfills the criteria for age, language skills in English and/or French, have the required academic qualifications, and other requirements they can migrate to Canada within 6 months.
The candidate has to score the required points or more in the CRS or Comprehensive Ranking System to be invited to apply for a Canada PR visa.
-
Provincial Nominee Program
The PNP or Provincial Nominee Program facilitates skilled and semi-skilled international individuals to work and live in a particular province or territory of Canada. They are required to have a valid job offer in Canada of a minimum of 1 year under any of the immigration streams. 11 territories and provinces have their individualized PNPs, each addressing their specific workforce requirements.
If the applicant fulfills the requirement of their chosen province or territory, they may receive a provincial nomination, which adds 600 points to the CRS and boost their chances of being invited to apply for Permanent Residency in Canada.
- Alberta PNP
- British Columbia PNP
- Manitoba PNP
- New Brunswick PNP
- Newfoundland and Labrador PNP
- Nova Scotia PNP
- Ontario PNP
- Prince Edward Island PNP
- Saskatchewan PNP
- Quebec PNP
-
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
Pharmacists are in-demand in Canada. They are eligible to migrate to Canada under the RNIP or Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. 11 communities participate in the pilot program. They need a valid employment offer in any of the communities to be eligible to apply for Canada PR under the RNIP.
-
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The AIP or Atlantic Immigration Pilot facilitates intermediate, highly-skilled, and semi-skilled international professionals to move to the Atlantic provinces of Canada and since Pharmacists are in demand in the 4 Atlantic Provinces, candidates can apply if they have a valid job offer for a minimum of 1 year.
How can Y-Axis help a Pharmacist immigrate to Canada?
For trusted counseling and guidance for immigration to Canada as Chef, contact Y-Axis.
The following services are provided by Y-Axis for the best chances for immigration to Canada:
- Check your eligibility to Canada through the free Canada Immigration Points Calculator.
- Avail of career counseling for a career in Canada.
- Score good in tests such as IELTS and PTE with expert guidance in coaching services.
- Get assistance to apply for Canada PR
Do you want to work in Canada? Contact Y-Axis, the leading Work Abroad Consultant.
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