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.