Help cure the shortage - become a pharmacist!

by Stephanie Abba

According to a recent article in the Toronto Star, Canada is experiencing a shortage in pharmacists, and the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better. It has been estimated that by 2031, approximately 20% of Canada's population - one in five Canadians - will be seniors.

What this means is that the Canadian population is growing older, and it seems that the demand for pharmacists is increasing. If you enjoy interacting with and helping people, have excellent communication skills and can problem-solve creatively and effectively, pharmacy might interest you - in a few years, your skills and expertise will probably be in high demand!

Not only will pharmacists be needed in traditional roles such as dispensing medication in pharmacies, but pharmacists also work in hospitals and other healthcare-related institutions, for the government (dealing with laws about drugs and pharmacy practice), for pharmaceutical companies (sometimes in sales and marketing, sometimes in the development and manufacture of new products, etc.), or in education and research. There are many possible career paths for someone with a degree in pharmacy.

There are quite a few schools across Canada offering programs in pharmacy, such as Dalhousie, Memorial, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, the University of Alberta, the University of Manitoba, the University of British Columbia, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Toronto. There are other schools that offer other programs in pharmacy, so try doing a search at www.SchoolFinder.com for the details.

University of Toronto

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Université Laval

University of Alberta

University of British Columbia