HI thanks for reply. We have been living in Ontario from last 3 years, I am near to get Veterinarian license, and my wife has not started licensing exams preparation yet.
Ontario is expensive than Alberta.
Jobs are available in Calgary/Edmonton too, for Veterinarians and pharmacists.
Competition is every-where in Canada.
Yes Toronto is more expensive than Calgary or Edmonton but Ontario as a whole is not. Not sure I would get licensed as a pharmacist at this point.
“AB Pharmacist (used to be ON). What everyone else has said is pretty accurate.
The market is very saturated in both provinces . You can still make decent money if you move away from the major urban centers. Some posters suggested pursuing hospital/industry and you should take this advice with a bowl of salt.
It is pretty much impossible to get into hospital as a new grad without residency, which is extremely competitive. Unlike retail, hospital pharmacists have to deal with a lot of hospital bureaucracy and politics. From my experience, hospital pharmacists are also near the bottom of the food chain. You have to keep everyone happy (especially the nurses) and you may not feel very valued or respected until you gain enough experience to specialize in a unit (e.g. oncology).
The only potential relief in the market that I can see in the near future is if there is some kind of mandatory role for pharmacists with cannabis (e.g. must have a pharmacist at dispensaries, etc.). This surplus can only be effectively addressed with new roles for pharmacists.
The government almost always makes cuts to pharmacy to reduce healthcare spending and address budget deficits. On top of this, a large proportion of the workforce are IPGs. In my opinion, the Colleges and PEBC also have a vested financial interest in maintaining the IPG workforce (e.g. all the fees associated with licensure, applications, and examination attempts).”
(From last last year but similar as to what I have said. Know the market pretty well and people are now struggling to secure full-time jobs Calgary and Edmonton or apprenticeships. Actually has now spread to the outskirts). Would expect the salaries in AB to match Toronto/SW Ontario and Lower Mainland soon since pharmacists are heading to Alberta from ON and BC and flooding all the markets. Especially any mid to large sized city. Sadly predicted that salaries would be cut in half 15 years ago).
