Abimbola’s path back to pharmacy highlights the talent Canada needs

Canada faced an estimated gap of more than 1,600 pharmacists in 2022, and that gap is projected to more than double by 2034, according to a 2025 Health Canada workforce report.  At the same time, many internationally trained pharmacists already living in Canada face licensing and credential recognition barriers that can make it difficult to work in their profession.

Abimbola is one of those professionals. Trained as a pharmacist in Nigeria, she earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Olabisi Onabanjo University and a master’s degree from the University of Lagos. In 2022, she packed up her life and moved to Canada with her three young children, eager to reunite with her husband, who had relocated the year before to pursue his own master’s degree.

After initially exploring a career in IT, Abimbola decided in March 2024 to return to her pharmacy career and pursue the work she found most meaningful: helping people. Her decision came as pharmacists across Canada were taking on a growing role in patient care and community health. 

That June, Abimbola began the process of becoming licensed to practise pharmacy in Canada through the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC). At the same time, she was working a retail job to help support her family. The licensing process proved more demanding than she expected, but she kept going and sat for the PEBC Qualifying Exam that November.

When the results came back, Abimbola learned she had not passed. The setback was difficult, but quitting was not an option. She began preparing to try again while continuing to work and care for her family. 

The turning point came when she discovered Windmill Microlending. She was surprised by how quick and seamless the application process was and relieved to receive financial support that helped ease some of the pressure. Around the same time, she moved into a job that gave her more flexibility. This helped her better balance her studies, work and family responsibilities while staying focused on her goal.

Abimbola also took a new approach to preparing for the next stage of her journey. She enrolled in the International Pharmacy Graduate Program at the University of Toronto, a mandatory part of the relicensing process in Ontario. While completing the program, she also worked as a pharmacy intern at Shoppers Drug Mart. The experience gave her a chance to apply what she was learning and better understand the difference between the classroom and the day-to-day realities of working in a Canadian pharmacy.

By the end of 2025, her hard work paid off. Abimbola passed her qualifying exam on her second attempt. She completed the remaining courses, finished her program in March 2026 and passed her jurisprudence exam that June. 

Each step has brought her closer to returning to the profession she once thought she might leave behind. Her goal is not simply to earn her licence, but to become a well-rounded pharmacist who can bring real value to her patients and workplace.

Today, Abimbola is preparing for her final milestone: the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE). Her story highlights both the incredible talent immigrant professionals bring to Canada and the steep hurdles they face along the way. 

Through Intact Financial Corporation’s commitment to Windmill, skilled newcomers like Abimbola overcome the financial barriers on the path back to their profession and fill critical gaps in Canada's labour market.

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