Canada
In Canada, pharmacists must complete undergraduate four-year bachelor of science degrees in pharmacy after completing a minimum of one or two years of university study studies beforehand. The University of Waterloo requires two years of prerequisite study in the basic sciences.
The degree in pharmacy is composed of coursework and clinical experience through required internships and work placements, followed by the completion of a national board examination administered by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada.
The pharmacy schools in Quebec (at the University of Montreal and Laval University) now offer only the PharmD degree that involves two years of basic sciences and four years of pharmacy education, similar to many programs in the United States.
The University of Alberta Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical sciences will start a one-year post-B.S. degree PharmD program in 2013. This will prepare students for the PharmD programs.
Many hospital pharmacists also complete a hospital pharmacy residency program. This is a 12-to-24 month directed postgraduate learning experience. Through structured rotations in pharmacy practice, education, research, and administration, residency programs intend to prepare pharmacists for challenging and innovative pharmacy practice. Graduate residents are an important source of highly qualified pharmacists trained in institutional practice. Most residency programs are accredited by the Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Residency Board on behalf of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
Finally, there is the option of students taking a graduate two-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) course of study for those with Bachelor of Pharmacy or equivalent degrees. This advanced PharmD program can be pursued in Canada at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto and at several pharmacy schools in the United States (as the "non-traditional" PharmD). The advanced PharmD programs in the U.S. were phased out by the introduction of the entry-level PharmD programs, which despite being identical in their names, differ from the advanced level PharmD programs in terms of the depth and scope of the teaching.
The profession of pharmacy is regulated on a provincial level. The provincial regulatory authorities are directly responsible for granting pharmacist licenses, assessing the competency of pharmacists and ensuring public safety. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities was established in 1995 as a way to harmonize the activities of the provincial regulatory authorities. They represent the interests of the provincial authorities and serve as a national resource centre for all pharmacists. CPhA is actively involved on several NAPRA committees.
Read more about this topic: Pharmacy School
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