Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Questions & Answers

Overview

Q1 What is the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada?

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is the national certification body for the pharmacy profession in Canada. PEBC is a non-profit organization with more than 40 years of experience in assessing the qualifications and competence of candidates for licensing by pharmacy provincial regulatory authorities. Established by Special Act of Parliament on December 21,1963, PEBC functions as an arms-length national examining board for pharmacists seeking entry-to-practice licensure in Canada.

Q2 What is the purpose of the PEBC?

The purpose of the Board is to assess qualifications for pharmacists on behalf of participating provincial regulatory authorities. To that end, the Board awards Certificates of Qualification to those applicants who pass a Qualifying Examination. A major responsibility of the Board is to assure the achievement of a minimal level of competence to practise at an entry-level. PEBC assesses the qualifications of both Canadian and international pharmacy graduates. The rigorous certification process administered by PEBC ensures the quality of pharmacists entering practice and is a vital component in the delivery of safe and effective health care to Canadians.

Q3 How does the PEBC relate to provincial regulatory authorities?

Provincial legislation restricts the practice of pharmacy to qualified persons. The PEBC Certificate of Qualification is a licensing requirement for entry-to-practice applicants (whether trained in Canada or outside Canada) in all provinces, except Quebec. This certificate is one important requirement for licensure, but each province also has other requirements before granting of a license, such as practical experience, language proficiency and jurisprudence assessment.

Q4 How is PEBC Governed?

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The PEBC is governed by a national Board of Directors, comprised of representatives of the participating provincial regulatory authorities, the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, the Canadian Pharmacists Association, and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. The five-member Executive Committee is headed by the President, who is elected annually. Dr. John Pugsley serves as Registrar-Treasurer, based in PEBC’s Toronto office.

Q5 What organizations are represented on the PEBC Board of Directors?

The following organizations are represented on the PEBC Board: The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board; the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society; the Prince Edward Island Pharmacy Board (seat currently vacant); L'Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec; the Ontario College of Pharmacists; the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association; the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists; the Alberta College of Pharmacists, the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia; the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada; the Canadian Pharmacists Association; and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

Q6 Are there any language proficiency requirements related to licensure or the Qualifying Examination?

Candidates for licensure are advised to contact the appropriate provincial regulatory authority for full information regarding language proficiency requirements for licensure in an individual province. Although PEBC has no language fluency requirements, candidates are advised that language proficiency will affect performance in both parts of the Qualifying Examination and the two parts of the Qualifying Examination, since written and oral communication skills are essential competencies for practice and for success in taking the examinations.
Qualifying Examination

Q7 What is the purpose of the Qualifying Examination?

The Qualifying Examination is an important evaluation of an applicant’s competence (knowledge, skills and abilities) to practise pharmacy safely and effectively in an entry level position. This evaluation is based on the practice competencies defined in “Professional Competencies for Canadian Pharmacists at Entry to Practice” by NAPRA, 1997. The Qualifying Examination ensures that successful candidates have met the required standard of competence.

Q8 Who is eligible to take the Qualifying Examination?

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Eligibility for the Qualifying Examination is as follows:
1. Canadian graduates with a first professional undergraduate degree in pharmacy may apply directly for the Qualifying Examination if: • they are graduating from a program accredited by The Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) • their degree was awarded on or before December 31, 1993 by a constituent faculty of the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada.
2. American graduates with a first professional undergraduate degree in pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) may apply directly for the Qualifying Examination. However, their qualifications need to be assessed to confirm eligibility.
3. All other graduates must first have their qualifications assessed (through PEBC Document Evaluation and the PEBC Evaluating Examination) to determine their eligibility before they can apply to take the Qualifying Examination.

Q9 What does the Qualifying Examination involve?

There are two parts to the Qualifying Examination - Part I (MCQ) or QE-I (MCQ) and Part II (OSCE) or QE-II (OSCE). Part I of the Qualifying Examination is a multiple choice question (MCQ) examination. It is written in three and three-quarter hour sittings, on two consecutive half-days. Part II of the Qualifying Examination is a performance-based assessment called an “objective structured clinical examination” (OSCE), and is taken on either a morning or afternoon on a different day than Part I. The QE-II (OSCE) consists of a series of 7-minute tasks or “stations” simulating common and/or critical practical situations. These simulations often involve interactions with a “Standardized Patient” or “Standardized Client” (e.g., parent or caregiver) or a “Standardized Physician”.
Evaluating Examination

Q10 What if applicants do not meet the eligibility requirements to directly take the Qualifying Examination?

Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements to directly take the Qualifying Examination (Part I and Part II), must first have their qualifications evaluated. The evaluation procedure is a two-step process. The first step, known as Document Evaluation, is the evaluation of certain documents to verify the identity of applicants and to ensure that they possess legitimate qualifications which are acceptable for admission to the Evaluating Examination. The second step is the successful completion of the Evaluating Examination. The Evaluating Examination is designed to determine if the applicant has completed a program of study comparable to that accredited by The Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). It will evaluate the applicant’s knowledge in all areas of current pharmaceutical education. The Evaluating Examination is a multiple choice question (MCQ) examination. It is written in three and one-half hour sittings, on two consecutive half-days. Once applicants pass the Evaluating Examination, they will then be eligible to apply for the Qualifying Examination (Part I and Part II).
General

Q11 How can additional information about PEBC and its certification processes be obtained?

Additional information concerning the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada can be obtained by emailing the PEBC office at pebcinfo@pebc.ca or by contacting the office by telephone at 416-979-2431 or by fax at 416-599-9244. PEBC office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the office closed for lunch between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. PEBC’s Web address is www.pebc.ca.