Working abroad is a dream come true for every Indian pharmacist. Are you looking for better job opportunities, or higher pay, or international exposure? Your goal might vary but the solution to it is taking the right pharmacist licensure exam which pertaining to the country of choice. Confused where to start from?
Elite Expertise, to your rescue! Before we explore any further into the varied opportunities, let’s know what Elite Expertise does and how it can help you ease your path of becoming a pharmacist in the country of your choice, be it Australia, New Zealand, Canada or Ireland. Elite Expertise is an online education platform whose guidance helped hundreds of pharmacists through international exams and helped them begin successful careers in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland. In this blog, we break down the top 3 exams you need to know—OPRA, PEBC, and PSI—in a simple and easy-to-follow guide and help you clear any confusion in making the choice amongst these three countries.
1. OPRA Exam – Step Into Australian Pharmacy Practice
OPRA exam full form: Overseas Pharmacists Readiness Assessment
- As the name indicates the OPRA exam assesses the readiness of the overseas pharmacists to check if they match the Australian Healthcare standards.
- This is the entryway for pharmacists abroad to practise in Australia and is the licensing exam for Australia.
- This exam is conducted by the Australian Pharmacy Council or APC.
- The OPRA exam replaced the KAPS exam (Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences) from March 2025.
Eligibility Criteria:
- A minimum of a four-year pharmacy degree or above is mandatory, like in India- B.Pharm or M.Pharm or PharmD are valid to appear for this exam.
- This degree must be from a recognized University.
- To be eligible for the OPRA exam australia, the applicant must not be from any the countries mentioned below:
o Australia
o New Zealand
o Canada
o United States (US)
o United Kingdom (UK)
o Ireland
- Meaning any other countries, like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Pakistan and so on.
Steps Involved:
- Get Your Documents Assessed by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC).
- Prepare and Pass the OPRA Exam.
- Meet Ahpra’s (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) English language requirements like PTE test for proving your language proficiency.
- Apply for provisional registration.
- Apply for an Internship in Australia and complete the required hours (1575 hours).
- Once you complete at least 75% of the intern hours, clear the Intern Written and Oral Exams.
- Apply for General Registration to become a fully registered pharmacist.
Why Australia?
- High demand for pharmacists, especially in regional areas.
- Pathways to Permanent Residency (PR).
- Pharmacists can now prescribe medications for various conditions (thanks to the 8CPA).
- Supportive immigration policies and attractive salaries.
Also Read: How to Become a Pharmacist in Australia
2. PEBC exam – Your Gateway to Practicing Pharmacy in Canada
PEBC full form: Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada
- PEBC is the board that conducts the PEBC exam preparation for the entry and practice of an International Pharmacy Graduate (IPG) into the Canadian Healthcare system.
- There 3 exams to be faced by an IPG:
o PEBC Evaluating exam
o PEBC Qualifying exam: Part 1 (MCQ) and Part 2 (OSCE)
Eligibility Criteria:
- A degree in pharmacy from a university recognized by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC).
Steps Involved:
- Enroll through Pharmacist Gateway Canada and get a National ID.
- Use this ID and apply through the candidate portal for Document Evaluation by PEBC.
- Pass the Evaluating Exam– A mandate for all the IPGs.
- Pass the Qualifying Exams – Part I (MCQ) and Part II (OSCE).
- Meet Canadian language proficiency standards (IELTS, TOEFL, OET, or CELBAN). This depends on the province that you have chosen in Canada.
- Apply for Internship in your chosen province and Licensing through a provincial pharmacy board.
- There are certain bridging courses to be completed based on the requirements of the province which may be mandatory in a few provinces but not a mandate in the others.
- Complete the Jurisprudence exam of that particular province.
- Get your final registration.
Why Canada?
- Lucrative salaries.
- The Canadian Healthcare system is one of the best in the world.
- PEBC pathway is clear and structured.
- Pharmacists are part of the healthcare shortage list, improving job and PR prospects.
- Canada offers work-life balance, high standards of living, and family-friendly immigration policies.
Also Read: Steps involved to become an international pharmacist in Canada.
3. PSI Equivalence Exam (TCQR pathway) – Pharmacy Career in Ireland
Eligibility Criteria:
- This pathway is applicable for pharmacists, with a degree from a non-EU/EEA country.
- All other Third Country applicants must apply for qualification recognition under the Third Country Qualification Recognition (TCQR) process.
- Assessment of language competence is required to be submitted when making an application for registration.
Steps Involved:
- Submit an Application to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI). This is a review for the validity and eligibility.
- If the education qualifications are met with the Irish standards, you can proceed to the Holistic assessment.
- After the Holistic assessment based on the deficiencies in the requirements by PSI there two paths
o Path A
o Path B- Exam stage
4. Path A: If approved in the Holistic assessment, you will be eligible for a certificate of qualification appropriate to practise in Ireland.
5. Path B: If you do not meet the requirements at the Holistic assessment then you need to clear an aptitude test.
6. Pass either MCQ exam or the OSCE exam or both based on your requirement by the PSI.
7. Finally, you’ll be eligible for the certificate of qualification appropriate to practise in Ireland.
Why Ireland?
- A growing demand for healthcare professionals.
- Ireland is an EU country, giving you access to broader opportunities across Europe.
- Competitive salary packages and welcoming environment for skilled migrants.
- 9 out of 10 major pharmaceutical companies are in Ireland.
Also Read: HOW TO BECOME A PHARMACIST IN IRELAND
How to Choose the Right Pathway
Ask yourself:
- Where do I want to live long-term?
- What is my budget for exams, travel, and training?
- Do I meet the eligibility criteria and language requirements?
- How soon do I want to start working?
- Basis your requirements make a choice that best suits you with the information provided
- If you cannot tolerate the extreme cold weather of Canada, choose Australia or Ireland
- But remember Canada has its own advantage of lesser competition, compared to other countries.
- Ireland has many pharmaceutical industries, so the requirement for pharmacists in this country is high.
- The requirement of pharmacists, especially in rural areas, is high.
- The process for Ireland does not have any internship pathway making it a process to practise as a pharmacist abroad.
- The choice is yours but, talk to our Elite Expertise expert to help you choose better.
Why choose Elite Expertise:
- At Elite Expertise, we help you assess your personal goals and guide you toward the best-suited exam and country.
- We are an online education platform decreasing the hurdle of spending time and energy in travelling.
- We train for all the licensing exams like OPRA exam (Australia, New Zealand), PEBC exam (Canada), PSI equivalence exam (Ireland)
- Pay a one-time fee and avail the services until you pass the exam
- We guide you with document evaluation for all these exams
- Expert trainers who are clinical pharmacists and best in the industry with tremendous teaching experience from a student perspective.
- One-to-one doubt clarification sessions
- We understand that every candidate preparing for these exams has their own pace of learning. Therefore we provide both live interactive and recorded sessions too.
Conclusion
Choosing the right country and exam can shape your entire future. Start by understanding each process and then prepare wisely. And remember, you’re not alone—Elite Expertise is here to guide you through each exam, from paperwork to preparation.
Ready to take the first step toward your global pharmacy career?
Get in touch with us today and let’s turn your international dream into reality.
⚠️Disclaimer
This blog is for informational purposes only and reflects our own views and interpretations. While we strive for accuracy, guidelines and requirements may change. Readers are advised to verify information with official sources such as the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) and Ahpra before making any decisions. We do not take responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided.
