Pharmacy

What Does a Pharmacist Do?

• Pharmacists are responsible for:
  • the quality of medicines supplied to patients
  • ensuring that the supply of medicines is within the law
  • ensuring that the medicines prescribed to patients are suitable
  • advising patients about medicines, including how to take them, what reactions may occur and answering patients' questions.
  Pharmacists also:
  
  • supervise the medicines supply chain and ensure pharmacy premises and systems are fit for purpose
  • advise other healthcare professionals about safe and effective medicines use, and safe and secure supply of medicines
  • respond to patients' symptoms and advise on medicines for sale in pharmacies
  • provide services to patients, such as smoking cessation, blood pressure measurement and cholesterol management
  • supervise the production and preparation of medicines and assessments of quality of medicines before they are supplied to patients from pharmaceutical manufacturers.

How Do I Become a Pharmacist?

• The only two schools in Ontario that offer this accredited program are Toronto and Waterloo. For a list of all other schools in Canada, click here
• Applications are due early January. The applications are done through the university websites: Toronto and Waterloo
• There are a lot of prerequisite courses: for a full list, click here for Toronto or here for Waterloo
• Applicants need to have a minimum GPA of 70% for Toronto and 75% for Waterloo. Most applicants that are accepted have a GPA in the A- range
• Everyone has to write the PCAT. The PCAT is a test that is divided into 6 sections: Biology, Chemistry, Quantitative Ability, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, and Writing. Applicants are expected to score in the top 20% in order to be considered
• Waterloo also requires a reference and an Admission Information Form
• Top-ranked applicants are invited to an interview