P.E.I. pharmacists warn of worsening shortage, closures and reduced hours

A Health Canada workforce report found the country is short more than 1,600 pharmacists, and that number could double by 2034. Maria Sarrouh reports.

Pharmacies may be the front door to health care, but across P.E.I., local leaders warn those doors are closing.

An internal survey by the P.E.I. Pharmacists Association this year found pharmacy owners need to hire nearly twice as many pharmacists - and even more technicians - in the next year or two to keep up with demand.

“It’s very concerning that we do have such a shortage,” said executive director Erin MacKenzie. “We’ve already seen three pharmacies in the province close in just over a year.”

More pharmacies have scaled back hours due to vacancies, she said, with some teams struggling to cover vacations or time off.

MacKenzie explained pandemic burnout drove many health-care workers, including pharmacists, to leave the profession. Others are finding jobs in different provinces or simply reaching retirement age. Those losses, layered on an aging population and too few family doctors, are straining teams. But cuts and closures leave some people in small, rural communities with no options.

“The local pharmacy is really the only access to a health-care professional that they have… it’s, you know, a health hub for people,” MacKenzie said.

Pharmacist shortage could double by 2034

Pharmacy shortages are an issue coast to coast. A Health Canada workforce report released in January found the country is short more than 1,600 pharmacists, and that number could double by 2034.

Part of the problem is that training numbers have barely budged, according to the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA).

Joelle Walker, executive vice-president, said pharmacy programs need to be subsidized or supported by governments, the same way medical schools and other kinds of health-professional programs are.

“The costs are very high,” she said.

While the federal government’s 2024 budget promised an extension of its student loan forgiveness program to pharmacists practising in rural and remote areas, the CPhA is still waiting on the rollout and details.

Another issue, she said, is scope of practice - what pharmacists are allowed to do once they graduate.

“We want to make sure that when they come out of school, they can practice to their full education. That they’re fairly compensated and that they’re just getting a good experience in their practice,” Walker said.

She pointed to Alberta, where pharmacists have prescribed medications for common conditions for nearly 20 years. Other provinces now permit prescribing for minor ailments, but progress has been slower in some, she added. Conducting point-of-care testing, such as blood sugar, pregnancy tests and basic urine analysis, is another area where rules differ.

“Coming out of school, they can provide all of that care to patients,” Walker said. “Different provinces are at different places in how they’re embracing scope of practice for pharmacists. We’ve seen a lot of progress since the pandemic, but there are still some areas that we need to support.”

Another variable is pay, an issue that MacKenzie said will play a role in upcoming negotiations with the provincial government on remuneration for services being provided in community pharmacies.

A Health P.E.I. spokesperson told CTV News in an email that its salary scale for pharmacists ranges from $60.07 to $69.41 an hour. According to the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, the median hourly wage for pharmacists across the country is $53.85.

Between January 2023 and September 2025, Health P.E.I. hired 32 pharmacists – the vast majority casuals - which the government agency said helps take pressure off nurses and physicians. But Health P.E.I. adds it continues to face high vacancy rates for technicians.

MacKenzie said given vacancies in both the public and private sector, community associations, pharmacies and the government must work together to find solutions to attract and retain staff.

P.E.I. and New Brunswick are the only provinces without pharmacy schools, which creates more recruitment challenges.