Job prospects Community Pharmacist in Québec

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "community pharmacist" in Québec or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Québec

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Pharmacists (NOC 31120) in Quebec for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Employment in this occupation depends mainly on the full scope of practice, the volume of prescription drugs and the development of new drugs.

Extending powers to members of this profession who work in pharmacies and have been authorized to take on new activities to make health care more accessible for the public is expected to create an additional need for pharmacists. These new activities include primary care for common illnesses, such as dermatitis, seasonal allergies and minor infections.

The growing and aging population is creating a greater need for drug management, investments in research to develop new drugs and in health care that should increase the demand for this occupation.            

According to the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec, there is a significant shortage of workers in the occupation in local pharmacies to meet the needs of the population. Opening hours (evenings and weekends) sometimes have to be reduced due to the difficulty in hiring new recruits for positions requiring such availability. Many hospital positions are also difficult to fill.   

Here are some key facts about Pharmacists in Quebec:

• Approximately 10,850 people work in this occupation.
• Pharmacists mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 78%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 16%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 85% compared to 82% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 15% compared to 18% for all occupations
• 78% of pharmacists work all year, while 22% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• 23% of pharmacists are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 32% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 68% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 49% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 48% compared to 11% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Québec by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "community pharmacist" Pharmacists (NOC 31120) or across Canada.

Learn more