Job prospects Pharmacist in Prince Edward Island

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "pharmacist" in Prince Edward Island or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Prince Edward Island

The recent trends from the past 3 years were updated on July 25, 2025. The job outlooks over the next 3 years were updated on December 10, 2025.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacists (NOC 31120) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.

Pharmacists remain in high demand across the province, with growth driven by the province's aging population, expanded health-care needs, and increasing reliance on prescription drugs and health services. Recent media reports show that staffing shortages in the province are worsening, with vacancies for pharmacists and technicians projected to increase considerably in the coming years, which may force some community pharmacies to reduce their hours. Pharmacists are playing a larger role in primary care delivery, including administering vaccines, offering medication reviews, and supporting chronic disease management, as part of Health P.E.I.'s strategy to ease physician shortages. Retail chains and community pharmacies continue to expand services, while pharmacists must complete annual continuing education to stay current with new therapies and regulations. The profession is also evolving with the rise of non-prescription remedies, digital health tools, and consulting roles, making communication and patient-care skills as important as technical expertise. 

Here are some key facts about pharmacists in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 300 people work in this occupation.
• Pharmacists mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 70%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 26%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 89% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 11% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 77% of pharmacists work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• 11% of pharmacists are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 30% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 70% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: n/a
  • bachelor's degree: 83% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 17% compared to 8% for all occupations

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

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