www.nspharmacy.ca, the official website of the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator (NSPR), provides information about the pharmacy regulator, pharmacist and pharmacy technician registration, pharmacy licensure, and pharmacy practice in our province.

The information on this site is intended as a resource to pharmacy professionals and future pharmacy professionals, and to the public.

Public interpretation of health information on this site should not be substituted for the advice of a healthcare professional. For specific health matters, visitors to this site are encouraged to consult their pharmacist or other appropriate healthcare provider.

Occasionally, alternate websites are referenced on this site. This does not imply an endorsement by NSPR. The Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator does not endorse specific organizations, products, or therapies.

Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, and we acknowledge them as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

We respect and honour the Peace and Friendship Treaties that were signed in this territory, setting the terms of coexistence between settlers and the Mi’kmaq people. These Treaties remain in place today.

We recognize our responsibility to uphold the Treaties in the spirit of Reconciliation and collaboration. We acknowledge the harms that have created and continue to create health inequities for Mi’kmaq People, and we commit to moving forward in partnership.

We are all Treaty People.

We recognize the histories, legacies and contributions of African Nova Scotians, a distinct people with connections to the original 52 land-based Black communities. African Nova Scotians have been a key part of enriching the culture and history of Mi’kma’ki for more than 400 years.

Mi’kma’ki includes all of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, part of New Brunswick, the Gaspé region of Quebec, part of Maine, and southwestern Newfoundland.

About Us

Here for the Public

We are the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator (NSPR), the organization that regulates pharmacy practice in Nova Scotia. We work on the public’s behalf to ensure that Nova Scotians receive safe, quality care from pharmacy professionals and the pharmacies where they work.

Our core responsibilities include:

Licensing and Registration

Making sure only pharmacy professionals who meet established education and licensing/registration requirements are practicing.

Setting Practice Standards

Establishing and upholding the professional standards for how pharmacy care is delivered across the province.

Assuring Quality

Regularly inspecting pharmacies and reviewing how pharmacy professionals practice to confirm they meet quality and safety standards.

Addressing Concerns

Investigating any concerns or complaints we receive from the public and others about pharmacy practice in the province.

Continuing Competence

Ensuring pharmacy professionals maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills throughout their career after they are initially licensed.

Our Mandate

Governing the practice of pharmacy in Nova Scotia in the interest of the health and well-being of the public.

Our Vision

Excellence in pharmacy practice and patient-centered healthcare.

Our Values

The Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator upholds the following organizational values in our work:

  • We believe that everyone deserves quality pharmacy care.  
  • We put equity at the core of what we do to address disparities in health access and outcomes.
  • We collaborate with the public, pharmacy professionals, and our health system partners because learning with, from, and about others makes us all better.
  • We adapt with the evolving health needs of the public so that we are doing the right work.
  • We act with humility in everything we do.

Position Statement: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

OUR COMMITMENT

We acknowledge the historical harms, intergenerational trauma, and persistent inequities that continue to impact the health and well-being of the Mi’kmaq and other Indigenous Peoples, African Nova Scotians, people of African descent, and other marginalized, racialized, underrepresented, and underserved groups and identities in Nova Scotia.

We acknowledge that these communities contribute rich cultural knowledge, perspectives, diverse experiences, and invaluable insights that are essential for fostering a truly healthy, inclusive and equitable society.

Addressing systemic racism and oppression within our healthcare system requires us to actively acknowledge these truths and hold ourselves accountable.

We commit to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as reconciliation with Indigenous People, to address health inequities and to support all people in Nova Scotia to receive quality, culturally safe pharmacy care.

This commitment is central to fulfilling our mandate of governing the practice of pharmacy in the interest of the health and well-being of the diverse public that we serve.