Special Comments
Recruiting allowances
Effective April 1, 2007, a pharmacist enrolling as a “Direct Entry Officer” may be offered a recruiting allowance of up to $50,000 depending on the difference between the number of existing trained military pharmacists and the desired number. The amount will be set out in the offer message, which the applicant will have 30 days to accept. In addition, pharmacists are enrolled with a rank of captain and an advantageous rate of pay. The applicant must agree to undertake 4 years of obligatory service.
Effective April 1, 2007, a pharmacy student enrolling under the “Regular Officer Training Plan” may be offered a recruiting allowance. The amount of the allowance varies according to the number of months of publicly subsidized education the student must undergo prior to becoming licensed as follows:
- 36 months or more : $10,000
- more than 24 months but less than 36 months: $20,000
- more than 12 months but less than 24 months: $30,000
- less than 12 months: $40,000 (or $50,000 if there is a severe shortage of pharmacists at that point)
In addition, a candidate is provided with an officer cadet's rank and salary, and payment for tuition, instruments, supplies, and books. During the summer months, candidates undergo officer training. The applicant must agree to undertake 4 years of obligatory service.
What They Do
Military Pharmacists are integral members of the Canadian Forces health care team, which is dedicated to preserving the health of Canadian Forces personnel. The role of a Pharmacist is constantly changing and is no longer confined to the distribution of drugs. Pharmacists must now be effective in identifying and resolving complex drug-related problems. They must dedicate time to consultation with patients, physicians, and other health care professionals. They are expected to participate in the education of pharmacy students and interns, to become members of advisory and professional committees, and to maintain their clinical competence through structured and self-directed learning initiatives.
Canadian Forces pharmacists must be prepared to provide pharmaceutical care in peacetime, during peace support operations, and in times of war. To meet their operational role, military pharmacists require clinical knowledge regarding the treatment of battlefield injuries and disease. More particularly, they must be knowledgeable in the drug therapy aspects of emergency medicine, intensive care therapy, pain management, infectious diseases, and medical countermeasures for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. Additionally, pharmacists manage the medical supply system for the Canadian Forces. These duties involve the procurement, warehousing, distribution and disposal of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and medical equipment.
As a pharmacist in the Canadian Forces, you can expect to fill positions as a clinic pharmacist on a military base, as a pharmacist in a field medical unit, or as a materiel manager in a medical depot. You must be prepared to deploy anywhere in the world during times of conflict, peace support operations, or humanitarian missions. As you gain experience and progress in rank, you will fill staff positions at Canadian Forces Medical Group Headquarters, and may have the opportunity of transferring from the Pharmacist Officer occupation to the Health Services Operations Officer occupation.
Qualification Requirements
To practice pharmacy in the Canadian Forces, you must hold a degree in pharmacy granted by a recognized university, have passed the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s qualifying exam, and hold a current licence to practice client-based pharmacy in a province or territory of Canada.
You must meet Canadian Forces medical and fitness standards and successfully complete a selection process involving an aptitude test and interview. For complete information on the prerequisites for joining the Canadian Forces, please contact a Military Career Counsellor at 1-800-856-8488.
To qualify for direct entry to the Canadian Forces as a Pharmacist Officer, you must hold a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy granted by a recognized university, have passed the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada’s qualifying exam, and be licensed to practice Pharmacy in accordance with the regulations of any province or territory of Canada. A recruitment bonus is offered to such pharmacists.
The Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) offers you the opportunity to obtain a degree in pharmacy while pursuing a military career. The Canadian Forces needs professionally competent pharmacists who possess the attributes and skills necessary to practice in a military environment. To obtain the calibre and number of graduates needed, the Canadian Forces will sponsor you while attending university under the Regular Officer Training Plan. This plan involves completing your university education under government sponsorship prior to beginning full-time employment as a military pharmacist. To be selected for subsidized training under this plan, you must be accepted without condition to any of the degree-granting Canadian Colleges of Clinical Pharmacy. ROTP students may receive a recruiting allowance ranging from $10 000 to $50 000.
For information, contact the National Pharmacy Officer Recruiter:
- Captain Jack MacFarlane, jack.macfarlane@forces.gc.ca, 416-937-4884
NOTES
1) The Regular Officer Training Plan is available to you at any time during your undergraduate training in pharmacy.
2) Upon graduation, you will be required to serve a period of obligatory service in the Canadian Forces as a Military Pharmacist. This period of obligatory service ranges from three to five years, depending on the length of time your studies were subsidized.
Initial Employment
As a new graduate, you will provide pharmacy services to Canadian Forces personnel and will normally join the staff in one of our hospitals or clinics across Canada as a Pharmacist Officer. Following your initial employment as a clinic pharmacist, you may be posted to a medical depot or a field medical unit. You may also be selected to deploy anywhere in the world during times of conflict, peace support operations or humanitarian missions.
Specialty Training
Professional post-graduate training is integral to the development of officers in the Canadian Forces. As a Pharmacist Officer, you may have the opportunity to compete with your colleagues for post-graduate training in one of the accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs in Canada. If selected, the associated training costs will be subsidized and you will remain on full salary while attending university. You will be expected to serve a period of obligatory service representing two months of service for every month that was subsidized.
Working Environment
Your practice as a pharmacist in the Canadian Forces will provide you with the opportunity to maintain your clinical skills while developing professionally as an officer. You will be exposed to challenging clinical situations but will also be expected to be competent as a leader, an administrator, and a materiel manager. The non-traditional pharmacy roles may become available to you as you gain experience and rank.
Appropriate training, environmental clothing and equipment are provided, and Pharmacy Officers’ health, safety and morale are closely monitored.
Phase I . Basic Officer Training
If your application is successful, you will enrol in the Canadian Forces and undertake the thirteen-week Basic Officer Training Course at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. At Saint-Jean, you will be introduced to life in the Canadian Forces, learn military regulations, the customs of the service and leadership techniques, and acquire the fundamental military skills of drill, dress and deportment, weapons handling, and first aid. You will also participate in a rigorous program of physical training and sports.
The Basic Officer Training Course is given in either English or French, and successful completion is a prerequisite for further training. Candidates who enrolled under the Direct Entry plan will be commissioned as Officer Cadets, but paid as Second Lieutenants. Upon successful completion of Basic Training, they will be promoted to the rank of Captain, and paid as a Captain backdated to their date of enrolment, minus any Leave Without Pay. If you enrolled under the ROTP, your Basic Officer Training will normally take place during a summer university break, and you will hold the rank of Officer Cadet.
Phases II and III. Military Occupational Training
Phases II and III consist of military specific courses and on-the-job training that are undertaken as time permits. You will receive formal instruction on military medical doctrine in a field environment, general health care administration, military pharmacy practice, and medical supply management. This training will provide you with the background and opportunity to actively participate in the clinical, technical, logistic, and administrative aspects of pharmacy practice in the Canadian Forces. You will also be expected to participate in the Officer Professional Development Program, and may be selected for further military training.
