Am I eligible?
The NSPR offers a streamlined licensing pathway for pharmacy technicians from Great Britain to work in Nova Scotia, Canada – no national competency exam (PEBC) or internship required!
Pharmacists eligible for this new licensing pathway must:
1. Hold an active licence/registration in good standing* in one of the following jurisdictions:
2. Have practiced sufficient direct patient care in that jurisdiction within the last two years to maintain your competence to practice
*Good standing means you meet all of the following criteria:
- You have been assessed by the regulatory authority to have the capacity, competency and character to safely and ethically practice.
- You are not the subject of an outstanding complaint in any jurisdiction.
- You are not the subject of an outstanding disciplinary or remedial process in any jurisdiction.
- Your practice is not prohibited by suspension or revocation.
- Your practice is not limited by any conditions, restrictions, or other agreements in any jurisdiction.
Note: You may also be eligible for the streamlined pathway if you have ever held a license/registration in one of the designated jurisdictions above (even if you do not currently hold a license/registration there). Please contact registrations@nspharmacy.ca for more information.
For more information, including FAQs, visit www.RxNS.ca.
Complete the Application for Registration as a Transition Direct Patient Care Pharmacy Technician: Pharmacy Technicians from Eligible International Jurisdictions.
The application includes a declaration that you:
- understand the continuing education requirements for renewal of your licensure for the following year; and
- that you have practiced sufficient direct patient care pharmacy within the two preceding years in the jurisdiction where you are currently licensed/registered to maintain the competence to practice direct patient care pharmacy.
Provide a letter of standing from all pharmacy regulatory authorities with which you are/have been licensed/registered.
The letter should include the following information:
- confirmation of registration
- classification of license/registration to practice,
- any conditions currently associated with the applicant’s license/registration to practice,
- complete list of any complaints, discipline matters, discipline proceedings and sanctions, including any settlements, warnings and cautions, and
- confirmation that there are no outstanding complaints against the applicant.
A letter from another pharmacy regulatory authority should include all of the information above. If not, please have them complete the Letter of Standing Form.
Download and submit the Statement of Disclosure Form.
An applicant must submit two pieces of government issued identification, one of which must be an approved government issued photo identification document. An approved government issued photo identification must be valid (not expired) and can be any one of the following:
- Federally issued passport
- Driver’s license issued by a Canadian jurisdiction
- Identification card issued by a Canadian jurisdiction
- Certificate of Indian Status
- Canadian Citizenship Certificate/Card
- Canadian Permanent Resident Card
Please submit colour scans of your identity documents to the Registrations & Licensing Team by email.
Identity documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by the original, certified translation from a certified translator.
You must provide proof of name change (e.g., marriage certificate) if the name on the government-issued photo identification document differs from the one on your application.
Jurisprudence Examination
Successfully complete the NSPR Jurisprudence Examination, with an exception for those applicants who have been active members of the NSPR in the preceding two-year period.
Jurisprudence Examinations are scheduled on the last Wednesday of each month.
To Register
The cost to register can be found in the Schedule of Fees. Please submit payment by credit card by phoning the NSPR Registrations & Licensing Team at 902-422-8528 ext. 250. It is important to first ensure your application has been received prior to phoning in your credit card payment.
Submit a completed Application for the Pharmacy Technician Jurisprudence Examination at least two weeks prior to the exam date.
Complete a criminal record check through CSI Screening by visiting https://csiscreening.com.
- The criminal record check cannot be completed more than three months before your application is processed.
- Screening must include all countries (including each state/province/region) in which you have lived for more than three months since turning 19 years old OR in the last 10 years, whichever is shorter.
Note: It usually takes 2-3 weeks before the NSPR will receive your results from CSI.
Professional Liability Insurance
Provide the NSPR with a certificate of insurance from an approved insurance provider who meets the criteria as set out in the regulations.
You have two options for insurance:
Payment of Applicable Fees
Submit the required registration and licensing fees to proceed with your application.
- View Fees: Schedule of Fees
- How to Pay: Call the Registrations & Licensing Team at 902-422-8528 ext. 250.
- Payment Methods: We accept VISA, VISA Debit, MasterCard, and Debit Mastercard.
Obtain Licence and Complete Transition Period
You must submit a completed Pharmacy Technician Transition Period Report a minimum of 28 days from the date of licensure as a transition direct patient care pharmacy technician.
The purpose of this transition period is to ensure that your transition to practice and/or conduct does not raise concern regarding your capacity to safely and ethically engage in pharmacy practice pursuant to the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Act and associated regulations.
As such, the length of time of the transition period will naturally be longer for those who delay the start of their practice after their date of licensure.
Upon completing the requirements to become a pharmacy technician in Nova Scotia, the NSPR will provide the applicant with a certificate of registration and licensure that must be displayed in the pharmacy where the applicant will be practising.
