Upcoming Changes to the College’s Registration and Quality Assurance Regulations

When will these regulations be approved by government?

Although the exact timing for government approval of changes to Regulation 202/94 under the Pharmacy Act has not been set, we expect implementation will take place at some point in 2024. Further details, once available, will be shared with registrants and applicants.

I’m currently a registered pharmacy student. What happens to my status when the regulations are implemented? Can I still work in a pharmacy?

Once the regulations are approved and implemented, you will no longer have the status of registered pharmacy student and you will no longer be listed on the public register.

You will be able to engage in the practice of the profession while acting under the supervision of a Part A pharmacist who is physically present if:

You are an undergraduate in a Canadian or American-accredited pharmacy degree program, OR
You are enrolled in the International Pharmacy Graduate (IPG) Program

Once the regulations are implemented, you will not be required by the College to obtain personal professional liability insurance; however, your employer or school may still require you to have insurance. Note that once you have graduated from your education program, you must register as a pharmacy intern to practice to scope while under supervision.

If you are an international pharmacy graduate and registered as a student to prepare for, attempt or complete development for PACE, you will be required to register as a pharmacy intern to be able to continue practising to scope. Note that all of your pharmacy intern registration requirements (e.g., personal professional liability insurance, police background check and evidence of language proficiency) must be current for your intern application to be processed.

I’m currently studying in a pharmacy technician program. How do these changes affect me?

Under the new regulations, students in pharmacy technician programs who are in the process of fulfilling educational requirements to become a registrant of the College and are acting under the supervision of a Part A pharmacist or Part A pharmacy technician who is physically present will be able to engage in the practice of the profession. You will not be required by the College to obtain personal professional liability insurance; however, your employer or school may still require you to have insurance.

Upon graduating from a pharmacy technician education program, pharmacy technician applicants will now need to register with the College as a pharmacy technician intern (intern technician) to engage in the practice of the pharmacy profession (i.e., perform the authorized acts) as you attempt to successfully complete Structured Practical Training (SPT). You will be required to obtain pharmacy technician intern (intern technician)-level personal professional liability coverage before the application may be processed.

I’m currently a registered pharmacy intern. How do these changes affect me once they are in force?

You will not be required to do anything while your current certificate of registration as a pharmacy intern is still valid. Please note that you must continue to have pharmacy intern-level personal professional liability insurance.

When you submit your final application to register as a pharmacist, all registration requirements (i.e., education requirement, the PEBC Qualifying exam, the Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism exam and practice-based assessment) must have been completed within two years (with the exception that if your education was completed more than two years ago, but the PEBC Qualifying Exam has been completed within the last two years, then your education will be considered current).

If you had successfully completed any of these requirements, but it had been more than two years before submitting your final pharmacist application, you will be required to demonstrate by other means the currency of your education and practice to have your application considered.

If you have already successfully completed the College’s Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism exam, the original three-year validity date of your result will remain. Once the new regulations are implemented, a pass result on the Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism exam written after this implementation date will be valid for two years.

Do I still need to register as a pharmacy student if the regulations have not yet been approved?

Yes. Until the amendments are approved and enacted you must register with the College as a pharmacy student if you are required to do so (please see the education and training pathways for more information on whether you must register.)

I supervise pharmacy students and/or pharmacy technician applicants. What do I need to know?

It is important that you are aware that once the regulation is approved and implemented, pharmacy students will no longer be registered with the College and will no longer be required by the College to obtain personal professional liability insurance. However, the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act and the Regulated Health Professions Act allows students to engage in the practice of the profession if they are a student who is in the process of fulfilling educational requirements to become a member of the College and are acting under the supervision of a Part A pharmacist who is physically present.

This approach of not registering students aligns with the approach of other regulatory bodies, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the College of Nurses of Ontario.

If you are supervising pharmacy technician applicants who are completing the SPT requirement for their certificate of registration as a pharmacy technician, note that these applicants will now be required to register with the College as a pharmacy technician intern (intern technician) to engage in the practice of the pharmacy profession (i.e., perform the authorized acts) as they attempt to successfully complete SPT. They will be required to obtain pharmacy technician itern-level personal professional liability coverage.

Under the new regulations, students in pharmacy technician programs who are in the process of fulfilling educational requirements to become a registrant of the College and are acting under the supervision of a Part A pharmacist or Part A pharmacy technician who is physically present will be able to engage in the practice of the profession. Similar to pharmacy students, students in pharmacy technician programs will not be required to register with the College until they graduate.

You are encouraged to verify with your organization whether they require students in pharmacy or pharmacy technician education programs who are engaging in the practice of the profession to have personal professional liability insurance.

I am a licensed pharmacy technician. How will these changes affect me?

Under these changes, pharmacy technicians will now be formally incorporated into all aspects of the College’s Quality Assurance Program, including practice assessments. Pharmacy technicians will be required to register in either Part A or Part B of the register to reflect whether they are (Part A) or are not (Part B) engaged in patient care.

Additionally, upon annual renewal, you will be required to complete a self-declaration of competence.

I am a licensed pharmacist. How will these changes affect me?

Changes under the quality assurance regulations will require you, upon annual renewal, to complete a self-declaration of competence. This replaces the previous requirement to practice at least 600 hours over three years.

You are also reminded to keep your Designated Practice Assessment site up to date with the College to enable the scheduling of routine practice assessments (this information can be changed within your account).

About The College

Board (Council) & Committees

Performance & Accountability

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Protecting the Public

You & Your Pharmacy

About Find a Pharmacy or Pharmacy Professional

Complaints & Reports

Pharmacy Operational Assessment Process

Discipline Process

Professional Registration

Register as a Pharmacist

Register as a Pharmacy Technician

Registration Requirements

Fees & Timelines

Resolutions & Policies

Maintaining Your Registration

Two Part Register for Pharmacists

Practice & Education

Practice Tools

Quality Assurance Program

Opening & Operating a Pharmacy

Opening & Operating a Hospital Pharmacy

Quality Improvement Data for Pharmacy

Expanded Scope of Practice

Regulations & Standards

AIMS (Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety)

Practice Policies & Guidelines

News & Resources

Key Initiatives & Consultations

Key Initiatives

Upcoming Changes to the College’s Registration and Quality Assurance Regulations

Jump To:

Frequently Asked Questions