Frequently Asked Questions

The business licence can be uploaded to the Pharmacy Portal 75 days prior to the licence expiry by the Authorized Representative(s) OR the pharmacy manager. To access the pharmacy portal, log into eServices, go to ‘My Pharmacies’ and scroll to the bottom of the page. At this point, you may have one of two views depending on your role(s): 

• Authorized Representative: Click the ‘+’ sign next to the name of the Direct Owner to expand the list of pharmacies owned by that Direct Owner. Find the pharmacy due for renewal and click on the hyperlinked pharmacy name to access the pharmacy portal. Once you are in the Pharmacy Portal, review the pharmacy information on each tab and click the ‘Next’ button to advance to the ‘Business Licence’ tab where you can upload the business licence. Once you have uploaded the document, the file name and upload date will be updated. 
• Pharmacy Manager: Click on the pharmacy’s name to access the Pharmacy Portal. Once you are in the Pharmacy Portal, review the pharmacy information on each tab and click the ‘Next’ button to advance to the ‘Business Licence’ tab where you can upload the business licence. Once you have uploaded the document, the file name and upload date will be updated.

For further instruction on uploading a business licence, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

You may submit the pharmacy licence renewal requirements once you receive your pharmacy renewal notice approximately 75 days before the pharmacy licence expiry date. You will not have access to submit the renewal requirements prior to receiving the renewal notice. You may prepare for renewal in advance by compiling any ownership documents required and ensuring your business licence meets all requirements.

For further information on what is required for pharmacy renewal, refer to the College website or the Pharmacy Licensure Guide .

The status of the pharmacy licence renewal application can be tracked on eServices by either the Authorized Representative(s) or the pharmacy manager. Indirect Owners of the pharmacy will not be able to track the renewal status, or see the status of their Proof of Eligibility. Indirect Owners should reach out to their Authorized Representative(s) if they have questions about the renewal status of a pharmacy. The steps taken to access this information on eServices by the Authorized Representative(s) or pharmacy manager are different depending on your role(s). However, note that only the Authorized Representative(s) of the pharmacy can see who has and has not submitted their attestation and/or Criminal Record History (CRH).

• Authorized Representative: Log into eServices and go to ‘My Pharmacies’. Scroll down and expand the list of pharmacies by clicking on the ‘+’ sign next to the name of the Direct Owner. Once you have expanded the list of pharmacies owned by that Direct Owner, scroll down the list to find the pharmacy due for renewal. Next to the pharmacy name, you will see the status of the attestation, CRH, business licence, and payment. The status of the ownership information will be listed next to the name of the Direct Owner. To view the detailed list of Indirect Owners, click on the ‘Pending’ link under the Renewal Complete column. This detailed list will display all of the Indirect Owners and whether or not they have submitted their attestation and/or CRH. This list does not disclose the eligibility status of the attestation and CRH.
• Pharmacy Manager: Log into eServices and go to ‘My Pharmacies’. Scroll down to the pharmacy summary at the bottom of the page. This summary will provide the status of the ownership information, attestation, CRH, business licence, and payment. Note that only the Authorized Representative(s) of a pharmacy are able see a detailed view of which Indirect Owners have submitted their attestation or Criminal Record History (CRH). 

Note: the ‘Attestation Summary’ and ‘CRH Summary’ statuses refers to the status of all attestations and Criminal Record History results required for the pharmacy renewal application. If one or more individuals has not submitted their attestation and/or CRH, the ‘Attestation Summary’ and/or ‘CRH Summary’ column status will show as ‘Pending’, regardless of whether you have personally submitted this information.

For further explanation of each renewal status, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

As the pharmacy manager, you must complete your Proof of Eligibility and you may also upload a copy of the current business licence. Proof of Eligibility consists of a yearly attestation and a Criminal Record History (CRH) which must be submitted once every 5 years. The business licence may be uploaded by either the pharmacy manager or Authorized Representative(s). As the manager, you should discuss with your Authorized Representative(s) who will be responsible for uploading the business licence on eServices before the due date.

Ensuring the submission of all other renewal requirements is the responsibility of the Authorized Representative(s) of the Direct Owner(s).  

For further information about pharmacy renewal, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Failure to submit all of the renewal requirements: ownership information, Proof of Eligibility (attestation & CRH) from the pharmacy manager and all Indirect Owners (if the Direct Owner is a corporation(s)), a valid business licence (if applicable) and payment, will result in your pharmacy licence renewal application being referred to the Application Committee for review and an administrative fee may be applied. 

For further information on the Application Committee, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

In addition to a new pharmacy licence application and renewal application, the Direct Owner needs to notify the College when the following changes to the pharmacy occur. The requirements for each type of application can be found by clicking on the application name below:

The College is considered to have received notification once a change application is received. All applications should be sent to [email protected].

For further information on the different change applications, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

A Change of Manager application must be submitted through eServices by one of the Authorized Representative(s) of the pharmacy. The current pharmacy manager will not have access to make this change (unless they are also an Authorized Representative of the pharmacy). A manager change request must be submitted at least 7 days before the effective date to allow the new manager time to complete his/her Proof of Eligibility (attestation and Criminal Record History). The manager change will not be completed until the College receives the new manager’s Proof of Eligibility.

Authorized Representative(s) can follow the instructions in the Pharmacy Licensure Guide to submit a Change of Manager application on eServices.

If the same change applies to multiple pharmacies, you have two options to complete the change application for all applicable pharmacies:

1. Submit a change application for each pharmacy affected by the same change.
2. Submit a change application for one pharmacy and use Form 9: Pharmacy Licensure – Multiple Pharmacies to list all other pharmacies impacted by the same change.

For further information, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Typically the processing time for each phase of an application is 7 days. Some of the change applications have multiple phases which will add to the processing time. An application submitted without all the requirements may result in a delay in processing.

For further information on the timeline of each application, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Only the Authorized Representative(s) have access to view invoices and submit payment for a pharmacy licence renewal. In the ‘My Pharmacies’ section of eServices, click on the name of the Direct Owner (owner of the pharmacy). Once you have submitted the ownership requirements, you will land on the payment page. This page will have a ‘Print Invoice’ option that will print a list of all pharmacies due for renewal within the chosen month.

For further information regarding printing the invoice, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Yes, pursuant to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws, the pharmacy hours, both when a pharmacist is on and off duty, must be reported to the College. This change can be reported by either the Authorized Representative(s) or the pharmacy manager in the Pharmacy Portal. To access the Pharmacy Portal, log into eServices, go to ‘My Pharmacies’ and scroll to the bottom of the page. At this point, you may have one of two views depending on your role(s):

• Authorized Representative: Click the '+' sign next to the name of the Direct Owner, and then the pharmacy name. On the next page you must click ‘Next’ at the bottom of both the ‘Profile’ and ‘Staff’ pages to access the ‘Services’ page. You may edit the start or end time by selecting the correct time in the dropdown menu on the corresponding day of the week. To save changes, click the ‘Next’ button once all hours have been updated.
• Pharmacy Manager: Click on the pharmacy name. On the next page you must click ‘Next’ at the bottom of both the ‘Profile’ and ‘Staff’ pages to access the ‘Services’ page. You may edit the start or end time by selecting the correct time in the dropdown menu on the corresponding day of the week. To save changes, click the ‘Next’ button once all hours have been updated.

For further information on updating the pharmacy hours, refer to the College website or the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Proof of Eligibility (POE) can be completed by logging into eServices, clicking 'My Profile' > 'Proof of Eligibility'. Complete the information on each of the pages, clicking ‘Next’ at the bottom of each page to navigate through the tabs. If applicable, the last tab provides instructions to complete the Criminal Record History (CRH) portion of the POE. The CRH will be completed on a third party site, and it may take up to 7 days for the College to receive the result. You will only have to complete a CRH once every 5 years. Once you have completed your POE, click the ‘Close’ button.

Note: POE must be completed on a desktop computer using one of the recommended browsers: Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.

For further information on Proof of Eligibility, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

CRH involves a search of criminal record history information in the databases of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local police stations to determine whether the eligibility criteria to hold a pharmacy licence is met. Specifically, pursuant to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act (PODSA), “no direct owner, indirect owner or manager has, within the previous 6 years, been convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code (Canada)”.

If this eligibility requirement is not met by owners and managers, the pharmacy application will be referred to the Application Committee (AC) for review. After reviewing the pharmacy application, the AC may request additional information or evidence and may then issue, renew, or reinstate the pharmacy licence with or without conditions, or refuse to issue, renew, or reinstate the pharmacy licence.

The CRH search will be conducted by the Board-approved external vendor, Sterling Backcheck, a professional private criminal record check provider that partners with local police stations to provide results.

For further information on Criminal Record History, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Only Authorized Representative(s) of the pharmacy may check who has submitted their Proof of Eligibility on eServices. Indirect Owner(s) and the pharmacy manager can either contact an Authorized Representative to confirm that their attestation and Criminal Record History (CRH) have been submitted, or they may contact the Licensure Department via email at [email protected]. Note that the Licensure Department will not disclose the eligibility status of the Indirect Owner(s) or pharmacy manager.

Authorized Representative(s) may follow the instructions below to access the Proof of Eligibility information:

• Authorized Representative: Log into eServices and go to ‘My Pharmacies’. Scroll down and expand the list of pharmacies by clicking on the ‘+’ sign next to the name of the Direct Owner. Once you have expanded the list of pharmacies owned by that Direct Owner, scroll down the list to find the pharmacy due for renewal. This initial list view will provide the status of the ownership documents, attestation, CRH, business licence, and payment. To view the detailed list of Indirect Owners, click on the ‘Pending’ link under the Renewal Complete column. This detailed list will display all of the Indirect Owners and pharmacy manager, and whether or not they have submitted their attestation and/or CRH. This list does not disclose the eligibility status of the attestation and CRH.

For further information regarding the status of your pharmacy renewal, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

A pharmacy diagram must be submitted for the following change applications:

• New Pharmacy
• Change of Location
• Change of Layout

You must ensure that the diagram is professionally drawn to scale of ¼ inch equals 1 foot. All pharmacies must show that they meet the physical requirements set out in the PODSA bylaws. The diagram checklist (Community or Hospital) will provide a list of all requirements. A diagram that is not drawn to scale or is missing requirements may cause a delay in the application process.

For further information on pharmacy diagrams, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Pre-opening inspections require supporting digital evidence to show your pharmacy meets the requirements for licensure. Digital evidence (photos/videos) may be submitted to the College via email at [email protected] using the PowerPoint template provided by the College or by uploading the digital evidence to a file sharing service such as Google Drive, One Drive, or Dropbox and sharing a link to the folder if the file is too large to transmit via email.

Appendix B in the Pharmacy Licensure Guide provides recommended content for digital evidence on each requirement in the pre-opening inspection report.

For further information on digital evidence, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

A pharmacy that is changing location must meet all of the requirements outlined in the pre-opening inspection report prior to moving into the new pharmacy. The College recognizes that some equipment may still be in use up until the day of the move such as computer terminals, equipment, time-delay safe, fridge, etc. In this case, take photos of the equipment in the existing location and submit a photo showing where the equipment will be placed in the new pharmacy using placeholders. Additional photos may be requested after the move to confirm the final layout of the equipment matches the pharmacy diagram submitted.

No. The Register of Directors only lists the directors and officers of a corporation. In order to validate the names of the shareholders (Indirect Owners) within the corporation, the College requires the certified Central Securities Register which lists the shareholders.

For further information on the Central Securities Register, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

A Change of Direct Owner occurs when a pharmacy is sold from one entity to another. This also includes amalgamation. A Change of Corporation Name occurs when the corporation that currently owns the pharmacy changes in name only. One way to distinguish the difference is that a Change of Direct Owner will result in a new incorporation number, whereas a Change of Corporation Name will result in the incorporation number staying the same.  

For further information, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Amalgamating is the process where two or more corporations merge and carry on as one corporation, the "amalgamated corporation". The “amalgamated corporation” is a new legal entity, regardless of whether the “amalgamated corporation” has the same name or people as any of the “amalgamating corporations”. If the Direct Owner of a pharmacy amalgamates, you must submit a Change of Direct Owner application. An amalgamation is considered a Change of Direct Owner because the “amalgamated corporation” is a new legal entity which has a new BC Incorporation Number.

For further information regarding a Change of Direct Owner application, refer to the College website or the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Yes, all shareholders, regardless of the type or number of shares they hold, are considered Indirect Owners of the pharmacy and must submit Proof of Eligibility for all applicable applications.

For further information on Indirect Owners and pharmacy ownership, refer to the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.

Pursuant to section 4 of the Pharmacy Operations General Regulation, the College must be notified as follows:

“(a)at least 7 days before a manager ceases to manage a pharmacy;
(b)at least 30 days before the location of a pharmacy changes;
(c)at least 30 days before a direct owner changes;
(d)at least 7 days before an indirect owner changes;
(e)on becoming aware that a direct owner has ceased to be eligible, under section 3 of the Act, to hold a pharmacy licence.”

Additionally, pursuant to section 4.1(3) of the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act (PODSA):

“a direct owner must give to the registrar 30 days' written notice of any changes respecting the name or layout of the pharmacy.”

Pursuant to section 18(8)(d) of the PODSA Bylaws, a pharmacy closure application must be submitted at least thirty days before the effective date of proposed closure.

Failure to submit an application within the correct timeline may lead to a delay in the application process or referral to the Application Committee.

A summary of the prescribed timelines for all pharmacy applications can be found in the Pharmacy Licensure Guide.