31120 – Pharmacists
TEER 1Occupations usually requiring a university degree
Lead statement
Community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists compound and dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals and provide consultative services to both clients and health care providers.
Main duties
- Check prescriptions for proper dosage
- Compound prescribed pharmaceutical products by calculating, measuring and mixing the quantities of drugs and other ingredients required and filling appropriate containers with correct quantity
- Dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals to customers or to other health care professionals and advise them on indications, contra-indications, adverse effects, drug interactions and dosage
- Maintain medication profiles of customers including registry of poisons and narcotic and controlled drugs
- Ensure proper preparation, packaging, distribution and storage of vaccines, serums, biologicals and other drugs and pharmaceuticals
- Order and maintain stock of pharmaceutical supplies
- Advise customers on selection and use of non-prescription medication
- Renew existing prescriptions in limited circumstances
- May adapt the formulation, regimen, duration or route of administration of medication
- May supervise and coordinate the activities of other pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians and other staff.
- Participate in research for the development of new drugs
- Formulate new drug products developed by medical researchers
- Test new drug products for stability and to determine absorption and elimination patterns
- Coordinate clinical investigations of new drugs
- Control the quality of drug products during production to ensure that they meet standards of potency, purity, uniformity, stability and safety
- Develop information materials concerning the uses, properties and risks of particular drugs
- Evaluate labelling, packaging and advertising of drug products
- Promote pharmaceutical products to health professionals.
Employment requirements
- A university degree in pharmacy and a period of supervised practical training are required.
- Licensure is required in all provinces and territories for community and hospital pharmacists.
Example job titles
community pharmacist · pharmacist · druggist · hospital druggist · hospital pharmacist · registered pharmacist · retail pharmacist · industrial pharmacist
Wages (per hour)
| Province / territory | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $40.00 | $55.49 | $67.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $33.00 | $51.00 | $59.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $41.25 | $51.00 | $58.97 |
| New Brunswick | $46.15 | $52.00 | $65.00 |
| Quebec | $41.03 | $63.00 | $75.00 |
| Ontario | $37.00 | $53.85 | $65.00 |
| Manitoba | $50.00 | $56.00 | $69.23 |
| Saskatchewan | $35.18 | $55.33 | $62.00 |
| Alberta | $41.24 | $55.00 | $62.00 |
| British Columbia | $40.87 | $52.00 | $64.00 |
Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Occupation details: ESDC OaSIS 2025, based on NOC 2021.