How to Become a Registered Pharmacist in US / Canada (2026 Updated Guide)

A registered pharmacist in the US or Canada enjoys a stable career with a high median salary—averaging over $137,000 USD in the US and $112,000 CAD in Canada as of 2026

However, the pathways to licensure have become more specialized:

• United States (USA): The NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy) requires that any graduate who completed their degree on or after January 1, 2003, must have finished at least a 5-year pharmacy program. Because many international Bachelor’s degrees are only 4 years, the PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) has become the standard for eligibility. If you have a 4-year B.Pharm, you may need to pursue a Post-Baccalaureate PharmD to qualify.
• Canada: The rules remain more flexible. The PEBC (Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada) continues to recognize both 4-year Bachelor’s and PharmD graduates. Notably, a new Streamlined Pathway (effective May 2025) now allows graduates from specific accredited programs or approved countries (like the UK or Australia) to bypass the Evaluating Exam entirely.

While Canada offers a more accessible route for B.Pharm holders, both countries require a rigorous series of examinations and internships to ensure clinical competency, as detailed below.

To become a registered pharmacist in the US, one needs to qualify.

1. FPGE: Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalence Examination.
2. TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language.
3. 9 to 12 Months internship (1,500 hours) under a registered practicing pharmacist.
4. NAPLEX: The North American Pharmacist licensure examination.
5. MPJE: The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination

So this is the list of exams a student needs to complete for settlement as a registered pharmacist in the US.

The entire process takes 18 months to 24 months due to document processing and internship requirements.

A student can enter the U.S. on a visa for the purpose, and once he receives an internship offer, he can extend his visiting VISA for 6 more months.

The student has to bear all expenses during this time, and to ensure successful completion, they have to study thoroughly in advance for the exams during their graduation or during their stay in the home country.

NAPLEX

• This exam is conducted by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

• This is a crucial exam that tests your pharmacy knowledge and entitles you to work as a pharmacist in the US.

• You can find all the details about the exam and its structure on the Naplex page.

• FPGE is a pharmacy exam SAT by foreign students who wish to be licensed to practice in the United States. 

• Find more details on the FPGE page.

• MPJE is an examination to test your knowledge regarding the laws of pharma practice in each state where you wish to practice the job.

• One has to be a qualified FPGEC to take this test.

For more details, check out the MPJE page.

• The TOEFL, an English-language exam, is preferred over the GRE for this entrance. This has to be done once one qualifies for the FPGE exam.

• As of 2026, the NABP allows you to take the TOEFL iBT at ETS test centers in your home country (or at home via the “Home Edition” in some cases), provided the testing environment is secure, and scores must meet the new 2026 NABP standards.

However, the scores must be sent directly to the FPGEC (Institution Code 9103).

Note: Most candidates now use an H-1B or J-1 visa for internships, as a standard Visitor Visa (B1/B2) does not legally allow you to perform “work” or “internship hours” for credit in most states.

To become a registered pharmacist in Canada.

• One must qualify for the PEBC (Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada) exam.

• But effective May 2025/2026, eligible international graduates from certain countries (such as the UK, Ireland, or Australia) can bypass the Evaluating Exam and go straight to the Qualifying Exam Part I.

1. The pharmacist evaluation exam: Part I & II.

2. Then Pharmacist qualifying exam: PART I (MCQ) and PART II (OSCE)

• The exam is conducted twice a year, in the first and second quarters, with a gap of at least a month.

• Before this, one must have their educational certificates and other documents evaluated by PEBC. 

Evaluating Exam and Qualifying Exam Part I (MCQ) can now often be taken via Remote Proctoring (from your home country) or at international Prometric centers.

• This means you don’t have to be in Canada for the first two steps.

Part II (OSCE) is the practical exam and must be taken in person at a designated clinical center in Canada.

• On successful completion of the three phases, i.e., document evaluation, clearing evaluation, and qualifying exams, one can get a certificate of pharmacist qualification from PEBC.

• The exam is said to be more stringent than NAPLEX, but still, one does not need to pass the TOEFL, which adds an extra burden to study

• EBC doesn’t require TOEFL for the exam; you will need an English test (like IELTS or OET) later for Provincial Licensing.

• For more details about the exam dates, the fee to be paid, documents required for evaluation, immigration to Canada, etc., visit the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada site.

Both Bachelor’s and PharmD students are eligible to take the Canadian pharmacist exam, whereas only PharmD students are eligible to take the NAPLEX in the US.