Licensing guide · British Columbia

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in British Columbia

Last checked 7 sources checkedNOC 32124

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Pharmacists of BC to work as a pharmacy technician in British Columbia or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Pharmacy Technician
Show the source
“To practice as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician in BC, you must be licenced with the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC).”

From bcpharmacists.org/professional-licensing, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with CPBC

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • 4 steps without a listed fee

  1. Submit the Licence Application – Part 1 to the college.

    Source
    “To be eligible for the SPT program, you must: - Submit the Licence Application – Part 1”
    bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt

  2. Log into eServices, select Apply for SPT, and submit the SPT application online at least 10 business days before your intended start date, uploading the SPT Preceptor and Site Form.

    Source
    “Log into eServices and select "Apply for SPT" - Submit the SPT Application online at least 10 business days before your intended start date. - Upload the [SPT Preceptor and Site Form]”
    bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt

  3. When your application is approved, log back into your application and pay the SPT application fee.

    Source
    “When your application is approved, you will receive an email notifying you to log back into your application to pay the SPT application fee.”
    bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt

  4. Complete the Structured Practical Training program under the supervision of a qualified preceptor at a licensed pharmacy.

    Source
    “Structured Practical Training (SPT) is a practice-based training requirement for licensing as a pharmacy technician in British Columbia. Conducted under the supervision of a qualified preceptor at a licensed pharmacy, the SPT program provides applicants with the opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills, and abilities gained through their education or prior practice.”
    bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CPBC

4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 2 steps without a listed fee

  1. Refer to the Pharmacy Technician Licence pages to determine your licence pathway.

    Source
    “Refer to the Pharmacist Licence or Pharmacy Technician Licence pages to determine your licence pathway.”
    bcpharmacists.org/professional-licensing

  2. Prepare and scan all required documents listed in the Application Part 1 Checklist, with clear, good-quality colour scans.

    Source
    “Prepare & scan all your required documents, as listed in the Application Part 1 Checklist. Scans must be clear, good quality and in colour, as per the [Scanning Requirements]”
    bcpharmacists.org/professional-licensing

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CPBC

2 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • Listed one-time fees: $500
  • 2 fees depend on your situation and are not in the total
  • 1 step without a listed fee

  1. Complete the Eligibility Survey to confirm whether you are eligible for the PEBC Pharmacy Technician International Evaluation.

    Source
    “Complete the Eligibility Survey to confirm whether you are eligible.”
    pebc.ca/pharmacy-technicians/pharmacy-technician-international-eval...

  2. Apply for and complete the Pharmacy Technician International Evaluation, an assessment of your credentials and foundational pharmacy knowledge through a document evaluation process.

    Source
    “The international evaluation consists of an assessment of a candidate’s credentials and foundational level of pharmacy knowledge through a document evaluation process.”
    pebc.ca/pharmacy-technicians/pharmacy-technician-international-eval...

  3. Pass the PEBC Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination Part I (MCQ), administered by computer-based testing.

    Source
    “September 2026 Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Exam Part I (MCQ) Administered by computer-based testing (CBT)”
    pebc.ca/general-informations/examination-dates-and-fees

  4. Pass the PEBC Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination Part II (OSPE).

    Source
    “Qualifying Examination - Part II (OSPE) $1,240 (2027 fee)”
    pebc.ca/general-informations/examination-dates-and-fees

Listed fees for this route

One-time total listed: $500

One-time fees listed for Trained outside Canada, by type
Fee typeAmountShare
Other $500 100%
One-time total $500 100%

2 fees depend on your situation and are not in the total.

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • Applicants on the Canadian graduate pathway must have graduated from a CCAPP-accredited pharmacy technician program in Canada.

    Source
    “You graduated from a CCAPP-accredited pharmacy technician program in Canada.”
    bcpharmacists.org/pt-registration

  • To be eligible for the SPT program, you must be graduated from your pharmacy technician program.

    Source
    “- Be graduated from your pharmacy technician program”
    bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt

Police check

Insurance

  • Pharmacy Technicians must obtain and maintain professional liability insurance at all times while licensed, providing a minimum of $2 million coverage per claim or occurrence.

    Source
    “"Full Pharmacists” and “Pharmacy Technicians” must obtain and maintain at all times while licensed, professional liability insurance coverage that meets the following 3 criteria, as per HPOA Bylaws: - Provides a minimum of $2 million coverage per claim or occurrence”
    bcpharmacists.org/professional-liability-insurance-pharmacy-profess...

Other

Already licensed in another province?

Direct transfer

The Canadian Free Trade Agreement allows the credentials of a pharmacy technician already licensed in another Canadian province or territory to be recognized for licensing in BC, so additional assessments are not required.

Source
“The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) allows your credentials as a Canadian pharmacy technician to be recognized for licensing in BC, therefore additional assessments are not required.”
bcpharmacists.org/pt-registration

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with CPBC

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with CPBC

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with CPBC

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with CPBC

Supervised practice

Required

Structured Practical Training (SPT) is a practice-based training requirement for licensing as a pharmacy technician in British Columbia, conducted under the supervision of a qualified preceptor at a licensed pharmacy.

Source
“Structured Practical Training (SPT) is a practice-based training requirement for licensing as a pharmacy technician in British Columbia. Conducted under the supervision of a qualified preceptor at a licensed pharmacy”
bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 32124, Pharmacy technicians. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in British Columbia and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
British Columbia $20.00 $31.00 $34.18 Moderate (3 of 5)
Canada $17.50 $24.83 $34.20 —

Wages by region and job outlook in British Columbia

Wages in every province and territory

Pharmacy technicians in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 8 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare pharmacy technician licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Professional Licensing | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia bcpharmacists.org/professional-licensing · fetched October 10, 2026
  2. Pharmacy Technician Licensing | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia bcpharmacists.org/pt-registration · fetched October 10, 2026
  3. Structured Practical Training (SPT) | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia bcpharmacists.org/structured-practical-training-spt · fetched October 10, 2026
  4. General Information - PEBC pebc.ca/pharmacy-technicians/pharmacy-technician-international-eval... · fetched October 9, 2026
  5. Examination Dates and Fees - PEBC pebc.ca/general-informations/examination-dates-and-fees · fetched October 9, 2026
  6. 6 Years or More | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia bcpharmacists.org/Reinstatement-6-Years-or-More · fetched October 10, 2026
  7. Professional Liability Insurance for Pharmacy Professionals | College of Pharmacists of British Columbia bcpharmacists.org/professional-liability-insurance-pharmacy-profess... · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a pharmacy technician in British Columbia?

Yes. Registration with the College of Pharmacists of BC is required to practise in British Columbia, and to use the title Pharmacy Technician.

Which exams are required?

Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Exam Part I (MCQ), Qualifying Examination - Part II (OSPE), PEBC Qualifying Exam - Part II (OSCE for pharmacy technicians), Evaluating Examination, Jurisprudence Exam (JE).

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