Description
Community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists compound and dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals and provide consultative services to both clients and health care providers. They are employed in retail and health centre pharmacies, or they may be self-employed. Industrial pharmacists participate in the research, development, promotion and manufacture of pharmaceutical products. They are employed in pharmaceutical companies and government departments and agencies.
Job Titles
- Community pharmacist
- Druggist
- Hospital druggist
- Hospital pharmacist
- Pharmacist
- Registered pharmacist
- Retail pharmacist
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.
Workplaces
- Health centre pharmacies
- Retail centre pharmacies
- Self-employed
Skills
- Monitoring
- Oral Communication: Oral Expression
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Decision Making
Abilities
- Categorization Flexibility
- Near Vision
- Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Mathematical Reasoning
Personal Attributes
- Attention to Detail
- Concern for Others
- Independence
- Stress Tolerance
- Active Learning
Similar Occupations
- Chemists (21101)
- Pharmacy technicians (32124)
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacists (NOC 31120) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
- A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
Pharmacists remain in high demand across the province, with growth driven by the province’s aging population, expanded health-care needs, and increasing reliance on prescription drugs and health services. Recent media reports show that staffing shortages in the province are worsening, with vacancies for pharmacists and technicians projected to increase considerably in the coming years, which may force some community pharmacies to reduce their hours. Pharmacists are playing a larger role in primary care delivery, including administering vaccines, offering medication reviews, and supporting chronic disease management, as part of Health P.E.I.’s strategy to ease physician shortages. Retail chains and community pharmacies continue to expand services, while pharmacists must complete annual continuing education to stay current with new therapies and regulations. The profession is also evolving with the rise of non-prescription remedies, digital health tools, and consulting roles, making communication and patient-care skills as important as technical expertise.
Here are some key facts about Pharmacists in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 300 people work in this occupation.
- Pharmacists mainly work in the following sectors:
- Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 70%
- Hospitals (NAICS 622): 26%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 89% compared to 84% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 11% compared to 16% for all occupations
- 77% of pharmacists work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- 11% of pharmacists are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 30% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: 70% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: n/a
- high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: n/a
- bachelor’s degree: 83% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 17% compared to 8% for all occupations
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $46.88 | $55.50 | $62.50 |
| Canada | $40.00 | $55.49 | $67.00 |
Training
There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.
There are currently no job listings for this occupation on WorkPEI.