Information for Residency Program Applicants

The decision to pursue a Year 1 or Advanced (Year 2) Residency is an important part of your career journey, and CPRB is here to help you every step of the way. Click through the information below to start building your application.

Eligibility

Applicants to Year 1 Residency Programs must be graduating or have graduated from a Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs - accredited faculty of pharmacy or otherwise be eligible for licensure as a pharmacist in a Canadian province.

Applicants wishing to apply to the Université de Montréal Master's in Advanced Pharmacotherapy program should visit Maîtrise en pharmacothérapie avancée - Faculté de pharmacie - Université de Montréal.

Applicants interested in applying to the Université Laval Master's in Advanced Pharmacotherapy should visit Maîtrise en pharmacothérapie avancée | Faculté de pharmacie | ULaval.

Applicants for Advanced (Year 2) Residency Programs should hold a Year 1 Accredited Canadian Pharmacy Resident (ACPR) designation or have completed a PGY1 Residency with an ASHP accredited program, and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy as a second professional degree or Master's Degree in advanced pharmacotherapy prior to starting an Advanced (Year 2) Pharmacy Residency.

Programs may have different policies with regard to eligibility requirements and entrance criteria. The Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB) does not review or adjudicate eligibility of individuals applying to specific programs and, therefore, encourages applicants to investigate the requirements of the programs they are interested in applying to.

Program Selection

Each CPRB accredited program and accreditation-pending residency program offers a different mix of rotations and learning experiences.

Check out a complete list and description of Year 1 and Year 2 accredited programs and accreditation-pending programs to learn more. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to individual programs.

Application Process for Year 1 Accredited and Accreditation-Pending Residency Programs

Applications to CPRB Year 1 accredited and accreditation-pending residency programs are processed using the Pharmacy Residency Application and Matching Service (PRAMS). PRAMS is a national application and matching service that provides a coordinated process to help applicants obtain positions with programs of their choice and to help residency programs obtain applicants of their choice. CSHP provides this service to streamline applicant information gathering and optimize matching between candidates and residency programs. Residency programs use the information gathered to screen applicants and offer interviews.

Key Dates

PRAMS 2027-2028 Schedule of Dates

Monday, July 20, 2026	PRAMS opens for programs to update/revise online program information, including number of positions available.
Friday, August 14, 2026 - 11:59 AM Eastern Standard Time	Final day for programs to update/revise online program information including number of positions available.
Monday, August 17, 2026	PRAMS opens for applicants to create an account and login to complete application.
Thursday, October 8, 2026 - 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (Noon Eastern Standard Time)	Final day for applicants to apply to programs. NO applications or references can be accepted after this date. **The application deadline is firm and will not be modified for any reason. Do not leave your application to the last minute.*
Wednesday, January 6, 2027	Final day for applicants and programs to change ranking order lists online. NO ranking order list changes can be made after this date. Please review your list and ensure that is accurate and a final version saved before the deadline.
Wednesday, January 13, 2027	MATCH RESULTS AVAILABLE TO APPLICANTS AND PROGRAMS ON THE PRAMS WEBSITE BY END OF DAY
Friday, January 22, 2027	Final day for applicants to accept a residency position. Please refer to the direction of the Residency Program Director or Coordinator. Acceptance may be verbal or in writing.
Monday, January 25, 2027	Programs with unfilled positions will contact unmatched applicants to fill open positions.
If any changes to these dates become necessary, updates will be posted on this site.

Fees and Application Requirements

Current Fee

Applicant fee is $275 to apply to 5 programs.

Each additional program is $25. There is no limit to the number of programs applicants can apply to.
Applicants applying to one or more programs in British Columbia are required to pay an additional $50 fee.

Application Requirements

Refer to Sample Application and Sample Reference for the current version of the application and reference forms.

Please note: The Sample Application is only for reference and cannot be used to apply to residency programs. Only applications through the PRAMS website will be accepted.

Required documents
The application process requires that you submit the following documents:

Official transcript from your pharmacy program (mandatory) must include student name/ student number/ numerical marks and/or letter grade for each course taken.
Unofficial (i.e. unsealed) transcripts in PDF are acceptable provided they contain all information above.

References
During the application process you are expected to obtain three references.

It is a good idea to contact your references in advance to confirm expectations and to confirm their availability to complete the reference form.
Be sure to select referees who know you well and who will comply with the application deadline. If your application does not contain three complete references, it will be considered incomplete and you will be unable to pay the application fee and select programs.
In PRAMS, you will enter the names and email addresses for each of your references. PRAMS will then automatically send an email invitation to each referee allowing them to complete a reference for you within the PRAMS system.

Additional Program-Specific Documents
Some programs require additional information as part of the application. The program(s) you select will list the additional program requirements in PRAMS. Any additional program-specific required documents that you upload will be attached to that program only.

Time Required
The application process requires careful consideration and the uploading of documents. Be sure to set aside enough time to complete the application process. Do not leave the application until the last minute.

Rules of Participation

All participating programs and applicants must abide by the PRAMS 2027-2028 Schedule of Dates.

Year 1 Accredited and Accreditation Pending Programs must offer all residency positions through PRAMS.*

*Applicants wishing to apply to the Université de Montréal or Université Laval Master's in Advanced Pharmacotherapy programs must apply directly to the university.

Programs may not make any commitments or offers to, or require any commitments from, any applicant prior to the release of the match results. Programs will only rank applicants registered in the matching service. Programs will not disclose ranking information to applicants prior to the matching process.

Similarly, applicants should not make any commitments to, or require any commitments from, any participating program prior to the release of the match results. Applicants should rank on their rank order lists only those programs to which they would accept an offer from. The identity of all programs to which a given candidate has applied will not be disclosed to those programs. Only programs to which a given candidate has applied will have access to that information and the candidate’s application.

Programs should not require that any applicant state how any program will be ranked by an applicant. Similarly, applicants should not request information on how any participating program intends to rank any applicant. The rank order lists submitted by each program and applicant are the sole determinants of their respective order of preferences for the match.

The match results constitute a binding commitment from which neither the applicant nor the program can withdraw without mutual written agreement. A program must offer an appointment to each applicant with whom it is matched, and the applicant must accept the offer from the program, unless both parties agree to release each other from the match result. A program may not offer a position to any applicant who was matched elsewhere and subsequently not released from the match.

Violations of the policies of the residency matching service will be reported to the CPRB. The CPRB may decide to impose a penalty on those who violate the policies, up to and including loss of program accreditation.

How to Apply

Create an account with PRAMS (on or after August 17, 2026). The PRAMS application performs best in a current Chrome browser.
- Please note: PRAMS applications are not saved from one year to the next.
Complete the online application and upload transcripts in PDF format.
- Please note: Some programs may request additional documentation, such as a cover letter/letter of intent and/or CV. Programs list any additional requirements in PRAMS. If a program requests additional documentation, it should be uploaded on the program page after applying to that program. Only the program that you upload the document(s) to will be able to see it/them.
Request three references. Please be sure to send the request for references well in advance of the application deadline to give them time to complete their references. References must be completed before applicants can move on to the next steps (i.e., pay the required fees and select programs).
Select the programs you wish to apply to. Only programs to which you have applied will have access to your application. When you select your first program, you will be prompted to pay the application fee.
Pay the registration fee.
- Please note: Refunds are not available for registration fees.
Ensure your application is complete by the deadline, including completion of three references and any additional required documents.
- If needed, you may cancel a reference request and select a new referee.
- Incomplete applications at the deadline will not be forwarded to programs and there are no exceptions.
Once your application is compliant, your PRAMS dashboard notice will turn green. There is no submit button. Your selected programs will receive your application after the application deadline.
Residency programs review applicants and offer interviews. Programs will contact applicants directly to offer interviews via the email address provided in the PRAMS application.
Residency programs rank applicants and applicants rank programs.
The Match to align programs and applicants is run in PRAMS in early January.
Residency programs will contact their matched applicants to extend official offers for residency.

Ranking and The Match

Ranking

Rank programs in your true order of preference. Rankings are confidential so programs and applicants never see each other's lists.
Only rank programs you would be prepared to accept. Applicants do not have to rank all programs to which they applied.
For the best chance of a successful match, rank all acceptable programs, not just your #1 choice.
Ranking deadline: Early January

The Match

The Match runs on an applicant-proposing algorithm, meaning that it matches first according to the applicants' choices and secondly according to the programs' choices. The result of this is that each applicant and each program receives their most preferred position possible. The match prioritizes your preference first, then the program's, to give the best possible outcome.
Both applicants and programs should rank their choices based solely on their true preferences, in order of most to least preferred.
There is no advantage to strategically ranking programs based on how you think the program will rank you; consider only your true program preferences when ranking programs.
Vacant positions: Sometimes, vacant positions will remain after the match, and some applicants will be left unmatched. In the PRAMS application, applicants will be asked if they would like their application provided to programs with unmatched positions. Programs may contact these unmatched applicants to fill available positions.
Obligation to accept the match: While there is no obligation to accept the residency program offer, only those programs that applicants are actually interested in should be ranked to avoid declining an offer. The decision to decline a residency position should be made only for exceptional circumstances and must be carefully considered.
Match results are available Mid-January

Competition

The following table shows the summary data about the number of applicants, residency programs, and the success of applicant-program matches.

	2021/22 residency year	2022/23 residency year	2023/24 residency year	2024/25 residency year	2025/26 residency year	2026/27 residency year
Accredited programs	28	28	31	35	36	40
Non-accredited programs	2	1	2	3	5	4
Available positions	117	130	135	150	155	121
Applicants	411	347	313	264	288	270
Filled positions	116	128	134	149	138	120
Unmatched Applicants	295	217	176	106	133	146

Finances and Licensure

Programs may vary with regard to:

How the program is administered (e.g., is the program run privately by a hospital or region, or is it a program of a university; whether "student fees" are required while in the program);
The dollar value of and terms and conditions associated with the residency stipend;
Other types of support available to pharmacy residents (e.g., casual hours of work, health benefits, financial support for education leave/conferences, post-residency employment incentives, etc.)
Student loan deferral options
Please contact the program(s) to which you are interested in applying to obtain the specific details.

Licensing and Exam Costs

It is a requirement to be licensed as a pharmacist when enrolled in a healthcare-systems pharmacy residency.
Programs may vary as to when residents need to be licensed as a pharmacist (i.e., during or by a set time after starting the program). Please check program listings for more information.
Seek current information about licensing and exam costs from the Registrar of the Pharmacy Regulatory Authority in the province where the program(s) you are interested in applying to is/are located. Costs and Requirements for licensing will become important if you decide to remain in that province or transfer to another province after the residency, or if you want to seek casual hours of work to supplement your stipend.

CSHP Membership

Residents are required to hold a current CSHP Pharmacist (In-Training) membership. To learn more about membership benefits, please visit Member Benefits.

References for Applicants of Year 1 Accredited and Accreditation-Pending Residency Programs

The process to complete an application for a pharmacy residency position requires the applicant to submit three references.

Applications that do not contain three references by the application deadline of October 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (Noon Eastern Standard Time) will be considered incomplete and will not be eligible for the match.

If you have been asked to be a reference for an applicant, an automated email will be sent from the Pharmacy Residency Application Matching Services (PRAMS) requesting that you submit a reference for the applicant.

If you anticipate not being able to complete the reference by the deadline, please notify the applicant or decline the reference request in a timely fashion. To decline, please click on the "Decline this Request" icon provided in the email. The applicant requesting the reference will receive notification that you declined the request and will have the opportunity to request an alternative reference.
If you agree to submit a reference, click on "Provide the Reference" included in the email and follow the instructions in PRAMS.
References are due before the application deadline. Applicants are unable to move to the program selection and payment stages of the PRAMS system if they do not have three references completed. Applicants are counting on you to complete your reference early.

References are asked to provide information on the following:

Your relationship with the applicant
Your rating of the applicant in terms of:
- Time Management/Independence and Initiatives
- Problem Solving Skills
- Communication Skills
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Professionalism
- Response to Feedback
Recommendations

Please click here to see a sample copy of the online reference form.

Application Process for Advanced (Year 2) Accredited and Accreditation-Pending Residency Programs

An Advanced (Year 2) residency program builds on the competencies developed through the successful completion of an accredited Year 1 pharmacy residency or graduate clinical pharmacy degree (Doctor of Pharmacy as a second professional degree or Master’s degree in advanced pharmacotherapy). An advanced (Year 2) pharmacy residency focuses on direct patient care, teaching, and research, and increases or refines the pharmacist’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes, to allow for the interprofessional management of complex patient cases at a level beyond that expected of a Year 1 resident. Advanced (Year 2) pharmacy residencies may focus on a specific therapeutic area (e.g. cardiology, oncology, infectious diseases), on a specific patient population (e.g. pediatrics, geriatrics) or on a specific type of practice (e.g. primary/ambulatory care, critical care). Advanced (Year 2) pharmacy residencies develop interprofessional and leadership skills that can be applied to any position in any practice setting.  

Key Dates

Applications to Advanced (Year 2) residencies are accepted on an annual or bi-annual basis with deadlines for all programs being January 15.

Offers for residency positions will be communicated by the programs to the applications in early March.

Application Requirements and How to Apply

Applications are to be sent directly to the program. Please review the application requirements for each individual Advanced (Year 2) residency program as these may vary slightly.

Curriculum Vitae
Letter of Intent
Reference letter including a performance summary from coordinator of past residency program (if completed with the past 3 years) OR most recent academic transcripts (if no residency completed)
Three professional letters of reference

Finances and Licensure

Programs may vary regarding:

How the program is administered (e.g., is the program run privately by a hospital or region, or is it a program of a university; whether "student fees" are required);
The dollar value of and terms and conditions associated with the residency stipend;
Other types of support available to pharmacy residents (e.g., casual hours of work, health benefits, financial support for education leave/conferences, post-residency employment incentives, etc.)
Student loan deferral options
Please contact the program(s) to which you are interested in applying to obtain the specific details.

Licensing and Exam Costs

It is a requirement to be licensed as a pharmacist when enrolled in a healthcare-systems pharmacy residency.
Programs may vary as to when residents need to be licensed as a pharmacist (i.e., during or by a set time after starting the program). Please check program listings for more information.
Seek current information about licensing and exam costs from the Registrar of the Pharmacy Regulatory Authority in the province where the program(s) you are interested in applying to is/are located. Costs and Requirements for licensing will become important if you decide to remain in that province or transfer to another province after the residency, or if you want to seek casual hours of work to supplement your stipend.

CSHP Membership

Residents are required to hold a current CSHP Pharmacist (In-Training) membership. To learn more about membership benefits, please visit Member Benefits

Contact: If you have any questions regarding the CPRB or PRAMS, please contact:

Debi Allen
CPRB Coordinator
Phone: (613) 909-9962
Email: cprb@cshp.ca