The IPG Mentorship and Integration Project: Supporting international pharmacy graduates in Canada
Q&A with CPhA’s Kelsey Skromeda
Since launching in early 2024 with federal funding, CPhA’s IPG Mentorship and Integration Project has grown into a national initiative supporting internationally educated pharmacists as they navigate licensure and integration into Canadian practice. Building on strong participation and early outcomes, CPhA’s Kelsey Skromeda, Director of the Integration Program, reflects on its progress to date, the impact it is having on International Pharmacy Graduates (IPGs) as they transition into Canadian pharmacy practice and the role of employers and mentors who have participated in the project across the country.
When CPhA launched the IPG Mentorship and Integration Project, what need was it responding to?
IPGs represent more than 30 percent of the pharmacy workforce in Canada. Despite their significant contribution to the profession, many face persistent barriers to licensure.
The process is complex, costly and it often takes three or more years. Many unlicensed IPGs need support as they navigate the licensure process, struggle to build professional networks and have limited access to meaningful Canadian pharmacy experience while unlicensed. That experience and connection to the profession are important for building confidence, understanding practice expectations and preparing for national exams and licensure assessments.
The IPG Mentorship and Integration Project was launched as a four-year initiative funded in part by Employment and Social Development Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program to respond to these gaps. Through structured mentorship, paid mentored work placements, virtual learning sessions and employment supports, the project provides practical experience, clearer navigation and professional connections to help IPGs move toward licensure and employment in Canada.
What kind of response have you seen since launch?
We’ve seen strong interest from both IPGs and pharmacist mentors. Since launch, more than 960 IPGs and 600 mentors have applied to take part, with nearly 800 IPGs already participating in project activities.
Demand for mentored work placements continues to exceed available capacity, with hundreds more IPGs waiting for an opportunity. Participation spans nine provinces, with pharmacist mentors representing a range of pharmacy practice settings.
What impact is the program having so far?
So far, 156 subsidized mentored work placements have been completed or are underway, providing more than 31,000 hours of paid Canadian pharmacy experience, with an average of about 190 hours per placement. About 38% of IPG mentees have remained employed with their placement pharmacy.
We’re also seeing progress toward licensure. Twelve percent of participants are now licensed pharmacists, and another 17% are completing practice assessments such as SPT, internship or PACE.
Participants tell us the project is helping them better understand the licensure process and move forward with more confidence. Seventy-nine percent say it improved their understanding of licensure and credential recognition, and 88% say it helped them move through the process more quickly or with fewer setbacks. Many also point to the mentorship relationships and professional connections they’ve built as one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
Mentorship is described as a core pillar of the project. What does that look like in practice?
Mentorship takes several forms in the project. It includes one-on-one virtual mentorship, speed mentoring events and mentorship embedded within mentored work placements.
Across these activities, mentors help IPGs better understand pharmacy in Canada, workplace expectations and licensure and practice requirements. The relationships also create space for mutual learning, allowing mentors to learn from the experiences and perspectives that IPGs bring to the profession.
How do the paid mentored work placements help address common barriers?
They provide structured, supervised experience in real pharmacy settings, helping IPGs become familiar with pharmacy workflows, workplace expectations, communication with patients and pharmacy teams and the day-to-day operations of Canadian pharmacies. This type of experience is essential preparation for the PEBC Qualifying Exam and practice assessments such as SPT or PACE.
For employers, the wage subsidy matters because it makes the placement feasible. It helps offset the time and capacity required to train and supervise someone who is learning Canadian workflows and expectations, so pharmacies can take part without compromising day-to-day operations.
Beyond mentorship and placements, what learning opportunities are offered?
In addition to mentorship and placements, the project offers virtual learning and engagement sessions that help IPGs better understand pharmacy practice in Canada and navigate the path toward licensure and employment. Sessions explore topics such as provincial pathways to registration, communication in pharmacy settings, different career paths in pharmacy and practice in rural and smaller communities. To date, 741 participants have taken part.
Many of these sessions are later available as recordings, creating a growing library of on-demand resources that support IPGs at different stages of the licensure process.
Why was it important to include IPG Integration Training for mentors and employers?
Successfully integrating IPGs into Canadian pharmacy doesn’t happen in isolation. Employers, mentors and pharmacy teams all play a role in creating supportive workplaces.
To help with that, the project developed an online training module, Fostering Inclusive Pharmacy Workplaces for Internationally Educated Pharmacists, which focuses on inclusive practices, onboarding and workplace culture.
So far, 182 mentors and pharmacy staff have completed the training. In the post-training survey, 97% said it better prepared them to support and integrate IPGs into their teams, and 93% said they plan to make changes in how their workplaces support internationally educated colleagues.
How is CPhA working with partners to support IPGs?
CPhA works with partners across the pharmacy profession and the newcomer employment sector to support IPGs at different stages of licensure. An Advisory Committee with representatives from these sectors helped shape the design and ongoing direction of the project.
ACCES Employment is a core partner, supporting outreach, recruitment and employment readiness, including preparation for mentored work placements. We also work with pharmacy organizations, regulators, employers and newcomer-serving agencies to share information, host learning sessions and connect IPGs with the profession.
What lessons have emerged so far?
Delivering a project like this comes with more lessons than I could possibly list, but a few have stood out. Readiness for mentored work placements varies widely, and timing can be cyclical. Periods such as flu season and PEBC exam preparation affect both employer availability and IPG readiness, creating slower periods that we need to plan around. We’ve also found that placements tend to work best when IPGs identify and approach a pharmacy they feel could be a good fit. That introductory meeting is an opportunity for IPGs to demonstrate their motivation, communication skills and readiness, and ACCES Employment helps participants prepare for it.
Demand for placements has also meant prioritizing applicants. Factors such as geographic representation, progression through licensure, willingness to relocate and demonstrated need despite existing pharmacy experience help guide these decisions so placements are used where they can have the greatest impact.
Our learning sessions have generated a lot of useful discussion and information. Because not everyone can attend a full webinar, we’re repurposing that content into shorter highlights and other formats that are easier to access.
Finally, while most programming is virtual, feedback from our in-person events has shown how valuable face-to-face connections can be for building relationships and strengthening ties to the profession.
The constant learning that comes with delivering a project like this is also part of what makes the work so interesting and rewarding for the team.
What’s next for the IPG Mentorship and Integration Project?
Next steps for the IPG Mentorship and Integration Project include expanding outreach and sharing early data and outcomes to demonstrate the impact of this type of support for IPGs working toward licensure in Canada.
As we continue delivering information and resources to support IPGs through the licensure process, the longer-term goal is to contribute to more sustainable national approaches that strengthen the pharmacy workforce and recognize internationally educated pharmacists as an important part of pharmacy practice in Canada.
