Registering Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in British Columbia must register with the College in order to practice in the province. In addition, all pharmacies in the province must be approved and issued a licence from the College in order to operate.
The College registration process ensures that pharmacy professionals meet the ‘entry to practice’ standards and possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to be able to provide safe pharmacy care. Registrants must meet annual professional development and continuing education requirements to demonstrate ongoing competence in professional practice.
Registrants must also complete a criminal record check and carry professional liability insurance as a requirement of their registration.
| The College is responsible for maintaining a register which lists all the registered pharmacy professionals and licensed pharmacies in BC, and makes information of a registrant’s status publicly available on the College website according to the Public Notification Framework pursuant to section 39.3 of the Health Professions Act. |
2018/19 Registration Statistics
Licencing Pharmacies
As the licensing body for all pharmacies in the province, the College regulates the ownership and operation of BC pharmacies in accordance with the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act (PODSA), the Health Professions Act (HPA), and the Regulations and bylaws of the College made pursuant to these Acts.
Both Community and Hospital Pharmacy Licences are valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually.
New Pharmacy Ownership Requirements
The College’s amendments to the PODSA Bylaws, which incorporate the new pharmacy ownership requirements approved by the Provincial Government in 2016, were in effect on April 1, 2018.
These new requirements permit the College to know the identity of all pharmacy owners, determine their suitability for pharmacy ownership and hold them accountable for providing safe and effective care by ensuring their pharmacies are compliant with the legislative requirements for pharmacies in BC.