Free to join at every stage
Pharmacy intern jobs in Canada. Keep 100% of your rate
Find pharmacy intern jobs in Canada before you are licensed. Relief Guru is free for students, registered interns, internationally trained pharmacists, and pharmacists in their first two years. Take paid shifts when you can, find a path to your first pharmacist job, and match with a mentor who has done it.
- 100% pay, zero cuts
- Free to join at every stage
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Who can apply for pharmacy intern jobs in Canada
Your stage decides what you can legally do, what you get paid, and what Relief Guru can offer you today.

Pharmacy student
Still in school, working toward a PharmD or BScPharm, and you want paid pharmacy hours before you graduate.

Registered intern
Graduated or in your final year, registered with your college on the licensing pathway. Provisional pharmacist in AB and BC.

Internationally trained
Qualified outside Canada, working through Pharmacists' Gateway Canada, PEBC and your provincial college.

Licensed, first two years
Fully registered in your province, and you want shifts on your own terms without an agency taking a cut.
Do pharmacy interns get paid in Canada?
Yes. Most registered interns are paid. In Ontario, the College says most PACE candidates are unpaid, and the assessor and the pharmacy do not have to pay them. Pay in pharmacy is a ladder, not one number. The rungs are set by what you are legally allowed to do, not by how good you are. The three Job Bank figures below use the same method, so assistant, technician and pharmacist wages can be compared.
Hourly pay by pharmacy career stage in Canada
Pharmacy assistant (unregulated)
- Low
- $16.00
- Median or average
- $20.00
- High
- $26.00
- Basis
- Job Bank, NOC 33103
Pharmacy intern
- Low
- $18.15
- Median or average
- $25.61
- High
- $49.00
- Basis
- Indeed.ca, 49 salaries, August 2026
Regulated pharmacy technician
- Low
- $17.50
- Median or average
- $24.83
- High
- $34.20
- Basis
- Job Bank, NOC 32124
Pharmacist, starting (Alberta)
- Low
- $35.35
- Average
- $50.06Median is $50.00
- High
- $58.00
- Basis
- Alberta alis wage survey
Pharmacist, all experience levels
- Low
- $40.00
- Median or average
- $55.49
- High
- $67.00
- Basis
- Job Bank, NOC 31120
Relief shifts on Relief Guru
- Low
- $65.00
- Median or average
- Set by the pharmacy
- High
- $110.00
- Basis
- Relief Guru posted shift rates, set by the pharmacy. Posted rates, not guaranteed earnings.
Job Bank figures updated November 19, 2025, reference period 2023 to 2024. Alberta figure from the Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, the only government-published starting pharmacist wage in Canada. The Relief Guru row shows posted shift rates, not earnings you are guaranteed. Rates are set by the posting pharmacy and vary by location, shift type and notice, and individual province pages on this site quote narrower local ranges. Relief shifts require full registration, so students and registered interns cannot take them.
Why there is no official pharmacy student wage
There is no government occupation code for a pharmacy student, so any single figure you see quoted is an aggregator estimate built from a handful of self-reported salaries. Rather than repeat one, plan against the pharmacy assistant band above. It is the closest stage Job Bank publishes properly, and it is the kind of work most pre-licensure hours consist of.
Raise your rate before you graduate
An injection certification is the single cheapest credential that moves a student or intern up the pay ladder, because it widens what a supervising pharmacist can delegate to you. Start with our CE course finder to see accredited options in your province, then compare where the rate lands using the pharmacist rate calculator.
For a full provincial breakdown of licensed pharmacist earnings, including how relief compares with salaried work, see our guide to pharmacist salary in Canada. Technician pay is covered separately in pharmacy technician salary in Canada.
Pharmacy intern hours and titles by province
Alberta and British Columbia do not use the title pharmacy intern for this stage. If you search those words, you will miss the rules that apply to you. Hours and titles differ by province, and getting them wrong costs months.
Alberta
- What you are called
- Pharmacy student register. Then provisional pharmacist, or internationally educated pharmacist graduate.
- When you register
- Before you practise.
- Practical training
- 640 hoursTwo placements of at least 320 hours each, 20 to 40 hours per week, different preceptor and site for each. Required only if more than one year has passed since CCAPP graduation.
- What you can do on shift
- Supervisor present and onsite. Since February 1, 2025 supervision may be reduced once competence is demonstrated. Injections always require direct supervision.
British Columbia
- What you are called
- Student Pharmacist, UBC or Non-UBC. Then Provisional Pharmacist Licence.
- When you register
- Before structured practical training or any pharmacy service.
- Practical training
- 500 hoursFor pharmacist applicants who are required to complete it. Technicians do 160 hours within three years of graduating, or 500 hours after that.
- What you can do on shift
- Practise only under a full pharmacist.
Saskatchewan
- What you are called
- No separate student class. You register as a Pharmacy Intern, then Extended Intern.
- When you register
- On entry to the register.
- Practical training
- Set individuallySCPP sets your requirement from your education and experience. Confirm your own hours with the College.
- What you can do on shift
- Direct supervision at all times with the supervisor physically present. You may not work alone or perform the final signoff. Visible name badge required.
Manitoba
- What you are called
- Pharmacy Program Student on the Student Register. Then the Intern Register.
- When you register
- On entering first year, before any experiential time.
- Practical training
- 600 hoursIncluding 400 hours of direct patient care over 15 to 21 weeks, for international and out of province graduates. Preceptor evaluation every 200 hours.
- What you can do on shift
- Final check only after completing the product release proficiency activity, at the preceptor's discretion.
Ontario
- What you are called
- No student class, eliminated October 1, 2024. Then Intern, or Intern Technician.
- When you register
- Students do not register with the College.
- Practical training
- About 105 hoursPACE instead of SPT: a one week 35 hour orientation then a 70 hour assessment over two or three weeks. Most PACE candidates are unpaid.
- What you can do on shift
- Students may perform any controlled act under a Part A pharmacist. Direct supervision for compounding, dispensing and selling. Interns may never supervise anyone.
Compiled from the published requirements of the Ontario College of Pharmacists, Alberta College of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacists of British Columbia, Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals and the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba. Verified August 2026. Always confirm current requirements with your own college before acting.
Ontario students, note that losing the student class did not shrink your scope. You may still perform any controlled act in the profession, including dispensing and administering injections, provided you work under a Part A pharmacist. What changed is that you no longer register with, or pay, the College while you are a student.
Internationally trained pharmacist jobs in Canada
If you qualified outside Canada, one exam is leaving the pathway. From January 2027 you will not need the Evaluating Examination. PEBC has confirmed that the October 15, 2026 sitting is the last one it will offer. That last sitting is optional, not required. PEBC has confirmed your result in it does not affect your eligibility for the Qualifying Examination. Passing it buys one advantage: you may then sit Part I and Part II in any order, or in the same session. Skip it and you must pass Part I before you can apply for Part II. Confirm your own position directly with pebc.ca.
What the pathway costs
Fees are the part candidates consistently underestimate, mostly because a bridging program is mandatory in three of our five provinces and is not required in the other two.
Gateway and document evaluation
Pharmacists' Gateway Canada enrolment
- Fee
- $390plus taxes
PEBC Pharmacist Document Evaluation (valid five years)
- Fee
- $715
PEBC examinations
PEBC Pharmacist Evaluating Examination (now optional)
- Fee
- $910
PEBC Qualifying Examination Part I (MCQ)
- Fee
- $855
PEBC Qualifying Examination Part II (OSCE)
- Fee
- $1,915
Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Exam Part I
- Fee
- $575
Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Exam Part II (OSPE)
- Fee
- $1,215
Provincial registration and jurisprudence
Ontario Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism Exam
- Fee
- $208.08plus HST
British Columbia Jurisprudence Examination
- Fee
- $440.00
Alberta ACP initial registration
- Fee
- $670.00plus GST
Ontario OCP initial application (valid five years)
- Fee
- $453.89plus HST
Bridging programs, where required
University of Toronto IPG Program
- Fee
- $13,930
UBC Canadian Pharmacy Practice Program (CP3)
- Fee
- $14,200plus $250 application and $2,000 acceptance
Fees published by PEBC, Pharmacists' Gateway Canada and the named colleges and universities, verified August 2026. Fees change. Confirm current amounts before you pay.
Where bridging is mandatory
A bridging program is required in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, but there are exemptions worth checking before you enrol. Ontario requires the University of Toronto IPG program only for applicants who did not pass both parts of the PEBC Qualifying Examination on their first attempt. Since June 1, 2024 Alberta exempts graduates of ACPE-accredited US PharmD programs and applicants who passed both Qualifying Examination parts on their first attempt. Bridging is not required in Saskatchewan or Manitoba. Where it does apply it changes the total cost of licensing by roughly fourteen thousand dollars, so confirm your own position with the college before you pay.
A faster route for some pharmacists. Manitoba launched a streamlined pathway in December 2025 that reduces licensure from roughly four and a half years to about 75 days for pharmacists trained in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Ireland. It requires good standing in your home jurisdiction, recent practice, a Manitoba jurisprudence exam and a period of supervised practice. The College accepts the first five complete applications each month and queues the rest in the order received, so the 75 days runs from when your application is picked up, not from the day you apply.
On exam results, be realistic about preparation. PEBC reports a first-time OSCE pass rate of 92.5% for Canadian graduates and 56.6% for international candidates. That gap is not about ability. It is about Canadian practice and communication style. A mentor who sat the same exam can prepare you for that.
Looking for work while you license? See internationally educated pharmacist jobs in Canada.

How to apply for pharmacy intern jobs
It is free, it takes about a minute, and you are under no obligation to accept a shift.
- Register for free
Create your profile on the web or in the Relief Guru app. There is no fee to join, no subscription, and no charge for a job posting or a shift application.
- Upload your licence, registration number or student ID
Licensed pharmacists and registered interns provide their provincial registration number. Students upload a current student ID or proof of enrolment. Internationally trained pharmacists can register with their Pharmacists' Gateway Canada file while their assessment is in progress.
- Get verified
We check your standing against the public register of your provincial college, confirm your identity, and confirm your stage. Pharmacies on the platform are verified too, so you know who you are agreeing to work for before you accept anything.
- Start receiving offers
Once you are verified and hold the registration a shift requires, matching shifts come to you. You choose what to accept, you can negotiate the rate in the app, and you can swap a shift for free if your circumstances change.
Where to find pharmacy intern jobs in Canada
Pharmacy intern jobs are rarely posted on job boards. Most fill through college placements, pharmacies you already know, or your school.
- Your college placement
Most pre-licensure positions are structured training placements arranged through your provincial college, not open postings. In Alberta and British Columbia that is structured practical training, in Manitoba it is the internship, and in Ontario it is PACE. Securing an approved preceptor or assessor is the real bottleneck, and it starts earlier than most candidates expect.
- Direct approaches to pharmacies
Community chains and independents frequently take students and interns without ever posting a role, particularly outside the major cities. A pharmacy that already knows you as an assistant is the single most reliable route into an intern position, which is why pre-licensure hours are worth taking even when the pay is modest.
- University career services and student associations
Your faculty's career service, its preceptor network and student associations such as CAPSI circulate positions that never reach a public board. Alumni networks matter more in pharmacy than in most professions, because preceptors are recruited from them.
- Relief platforms, once you are licensed
Relief and locum shifts require full registration, so they open up the moment you license rather than during your internship. Registering and getting verified beforehand means you are not spending your first licensed month waiting on paperwork. You can browse relief shifts or look at permanent pharmacy jobs to see what the market pays.
For openings aimed specifically at your stage, see pharmacy student jobs in Canada, new grad pharmacist jobs in Canada and internationally educated pharmacist jobs in Canada.

Pay, tax and verification for intern jobs
This is the detail most staffing platforms hide. Read it before you accept a shift.
What verification actually involves
We confirm your registration against the public register held by your provincial college, and we verify your identity. Students provide proof of current enrolment instead of a registration number. Verification is a one-time process, which is exactly why registering before you are licensed saves you time later.
How and when you get paid
The rate is attached to the shift before you accept it, and you can negotiate it in the app. Relief Guru does not take a commission out of your pay. The pharmacy pays a flat service fee to the platform, so the amount you agreed is the amount you are working for, and your rate rising does not raise anyone's cut.
You are an independent contractor, not an employee
Relief and locum pharmacists in Canada are generally self-employed, which means no source deductions, no employer benefits, and responsibility for your own tax. The label on the agreement does not decide it. The Canada Revenue Agency looks at the real working relationship, including who controls the work, who carries financial risk, and whether you are genuinely free to accept or refuse a shift. If you want certainty, either party can request a CPP and EI ruling from the CRA.
Who to contact
A real person, not a ticket queue. Call 780-931-9310 or email sh****@********ru.com. Disputes, no-shows and cancellations are handled by a human on our team, and our published cancellation policy sets out what happens on both sides.
GST and HST: get advice before you register
What you are supplying decides the tax treatment. For relief work, the rules are not fully settled. Dispensing services are zero rated. Patient care delivered within a pharmacist to patient relationship is exempt. Consulting, training and management work is taxable. Zero rated is not the same as exempt: a zero rated supply is still a taxable supply and still counts toward the $30,000 small supplier registration threshold, while exempt supplies do not count. Speak to an accountant who knows pharmacy before you register, and use our tax deduction checklist for relief pharmacists to prepare the conversation.
New to relief work generally? Two guides worth reading before your first booking: your first shift guide and how to set your relief rate.
Common questions about pharmacy intern jobs in Canada
Pay, hours, registration, and how joining Relief Guru works.
How much does a pharmacy intern make per hour in Canada?
Indeed reports a Canadian average of $25.61 per hour from 49 self-reported salaries in August 2026, spread across $18.15 to $49.00. That is a small sample and no government wage exists for interns, so treat it as indicative. Ontario PACE candidates are usually unpaid.
Can pharmacy students work in a pharmacy in Canada?
Yes, under supervision, and the registration rule differs by province. Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba all require you to register with the college before you provide pharmacy services. Saskatchewan registers you as a pharmacy intern instead. Ontario eliminated its student class of registration entirely on October 1, 2024.
Do pharmacy students still register with the Ontario College of Pharmacists?
No. The College eliminated the student class of registration effective October 1, 2024, and students no longer register with the College. Your scope did not shrink. You may still perform any controlled act in the profession, including dispensing and administering injections, while working under a Part A pharmacist.
What can a pharmacy intern do on a shift?
It depends on your province. In Ontario an intern practises under a Part A pharmacist and may not supervise anyone else. In Saskatchewan an intern may never perform the final signoff on a prescription and may not work alone. In Manitoba an intern may do a final check only after completing the product release proficiency activity.
Can a new grad pick up relief shifts?
Yes, once you hold full registration in your province. Relief Guru is free to join and takes no commission from your rate. If you are still a student or a registered intern you cannot cover a shift as the sole pharmacist, because you are required to practise under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
How many hours of structured practical training do I need?
It varies widely by province. Alberta requires two placements of at least 320 hours each, so 640 hours minimum, and only where more than a year has passed since you graduated. British Columbia requires 500 hours for pharmacist applicants who must complete it. Manitoba requires at least 600 hours over 15 to 21 weeks for international and out-of-province graduates. Ontario uses PACE instead, which is roughly 105 hours.
How long is a pharmacy internship in Canada?
Manitoba sets the clearest window at 15 to 21 weeks for its 600 hour international and out-of-province internship, with a preceptor evaluation every 200 hours. Alberta's two structured practical training placements run at 20 to 40 hours per week. Ontario's PACE assessment runs over two or three weeks following a one week orientation.
Do I still need the PEBC Evaluating Examination?
Effectively no. PEBC has confirmed that from January 2027 international pharmacy graduates will not need it, and that the October 15, 2026 sitting is the last one it will offer. Because the next Qualifying Examination is February 2027, that final sitting is optional and your result in it does not affect your eligibility. Passing it only lets you take Part I and Part II in any order. Confirm your own situation at pebc.ca.
What does it cost to get licensed as an internationally trained pharmacist?
PEBC fees are $715 for Document Evaluation, $855 for Qualifying Examination Part I and $1,915 for Part II. Gateway enrolment is $390 plus taxes. Bridging is mandatory in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario but is not required in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, which changes the total substantially.
Can a UK, Irish, Australian, New Zealand or US pharmacist work in Canada?
Manitoba launched a streamlined pathway in December 2025 that cuts licensure from roughly four and a half years to about 75 days for pharmacists trained in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Ireland. It requires good standing, recent practice, a Manitoba jurisprudence exam and supervised practice. The College takes only the first five complete applications each month.
Do I need my own professional liability insurance?
In Ontario yes, and your employer's corporate policy does not count. The College requires $2,000,000 per claim and $4,000,000 in aggregate, issued in your own name, and Ontario interns and intern technicians are included. In British Columbia, Student Pharmacists are not required to carry it, but Provisional Pharmacists are.
Am I an employee or an independent contractor on relief shifts?
Relief pharmacists are generally self-employed, but the label you choose does not decide it. The Canada Revenue Agency looks at the actual working relationship, including control, financial risk and whether you are genuinely free to accept or refuse work. If you need certainty, either party can request a CPP and EI ruling.
Do relief pharmacists have to charge GST or HST?
It depends on what you are actually supplying. The rules are not fully settled. Dispensing services are zero rated. Patient care rendered within a pharmacist to patient relationship is exempt. Consulting, training and management work is taxable. Zero rated supplies are still taxable supplies, so they count toward the $30,000 registration threshold while exempt supplies do not. Ask an accountant before you register.
What is the difference between a pharmacy intern, a technician and an assistant?
An intern is a pharmacy graduate or student registered on the path to full pharmacist licensure. A regulated pharmacy technician is a separately licensed professional with their own registration and exams. A pharmacy assistant is unregulated, needs no registration, and works on delegated tasks under supervision.
Is Relief Guru free for students and interns?
Yes. Relief Guru is free to join for pharmacy professionals at every stage, and takes no commission from your rate. You choose which shifts to accept, you can swap a shift for free, and you can negotiate the rate in the app. It is available on iOS and Android.