r/PharmacyCanada

I visited a local pharmacy to fill a prescription for 14 pills.

This medication is the kind where you might be switched to something else if it doesn't work.

The pharmacist took my information. Eventually when the pill bottle was ready, he said they only had 13 pills, but billed my insurance for 14.

And I should come back next week for the last pill.

I think this is a sham:

1. If I got switched to a different medication, I'd never ask for the last pill, but he got paid.

2. I have an excellent health plan that covers everything including dispensing fees, so I'm unlikely to complain.

It seems unethical.

Is this allowed? Can I complain to some pharmacy authority?

Location: Ontario, Canada

Got offer in Queens Health Sci and Waterloo CAP… my concerns include:

- low pay rate and high stress as a pharmacist,

- easy license access by foreign grads converting their foreign license, thus flooding the market,

- Shoppers and Costco making oligopolies and low pay offers, eliminating independent neighborhood retail pharmacies

- difficult GPA in PharmD training, making medical school or dental school application later difficult

- uncertainty of AI taking over medication verification and drug interaction advisory, making human pharmacist obsolete

- standing full time behind a windowless counter

It was not an easy Waterloo application going through with Casper and interview. It also required / expected pharmacy volunteer hours. But I don’t think those abovementioned concerns will make me happy in taking PharmD training.

I am thinking to go for QHS instead and aim for medical school or dental school. This is a trade of almost-guaranteed spot for PharmD in exchange for an uncertain chance in medicine.

If you don’t think it’s a good idea to give up PharmD, please help to convince me. Thank you.

Hey r/PharmacyCanada. Long-time lurker, first real post.

Two honest reasons I built this. Both might sound familiar.

1. School never fit how I actually learn.

I dreaded typing every word the prof said. One slip in attention and I'd lose the whole thread.

Re-reading slides. Hand-writing summaries. Cramming PK calcs at midnight to hit a submission deadline. None of it worked for me - i.e. can't remember a thing from PK class.

The truth? I didn't figure out how I learn best until literally years after I graduated (more on this below).

I always wondered if other people felt the same way. Or if I was just slow.

Fast forward to today. I'm privileged to be a managing partner and director of a pharmacy group that owns over 20 pharmacies across Western Canada.

But the journey to get here was full of trials I wouldn't wish on anyone - a story for another day.

Let's fast forward to just over a year ago, when I was studying for a commercial real estate licensing exam. I was scrambling to find an exam bank where I could do some practice questions.

The whole experience made me reflect back on what resources existed for pharmacy professionals.

So I started thinking. What if I could build a platform that didn't just solve one moment in your career — like cramming for PEBCs — but stayed with you for the whole ride. From applying to pharmacy school. To becoming a clinician, a leader or more.

A platform that adapts to you. Spots your weak spots and quietly drills them. Explains things the way your brain actually works. Makes learning feel like a game. And gives you a real space to practice what actually matters:

• PEBCs
• Patient interactions and OSCEs
• Entering and checking prescriptions (clinical and technical)

This brings me to reason #2.

2. Why does every tool I use have to exist on its own?

Why do I need a GPT subscription, a browser bookmark for MDCalc, Diabetes Canada, and then there's RxFiles in another tab, RxTx, LexiInteract and the list goes on and on.

And on the topic of CEs and .. cramming CE modules five days before they're due? Answering questions by CTRL + F'ing through a text-heavy PDF document. Writing SMART reflections on what I learned in the past year (or past hour) at 12:30 AM instead of tracking my learning ongoing like the College expects me to.

And if I want to chase something bigger - ISTM, CDE, MBA, Real Estate, etc - why do I need to copy my notes into ChatGPT, get it to spit out questions, then toggle through 100 unrelated threads (e.g. "what does my dog think about when I'm away"; "how to watch NHL playoffs for free"; "Will AI replace me?) if I ever want to find that one good case again?

Nothing carries forward. Nothing's connected. Everything looks like built for Windows 95.

It shouldn't be like this.

So Knowbly is the thing I wish existed. One platform that grows with you. Practice questions. Converting anything you want to learn into questions, flashcards (that resemble the apps you doomscroll on) and games. Voice/text patient (and soon, employee) sims. A CE portfolio that maps your platform activity into the format your specific college actually wants. An AI partner that helps you learn and adapts to your needs. All in one login.

Whether you're applying to pharmacy school or 20 years in running your own pharmacies.

A few honest notes.

• Free to try for a week! Zero risk to you.
• Mobile experience is good, but far from perfect - full app to come in the near future!
• It's far from perfect!

What I'm looking for: tell me what's missing. What's broken. What would actually make this useful for your practice. Whether you're prepping for PEBCs, knee-deep in residency, or 15 years in trying to keep CE from feeling like a chore.

Roast it. I'd rather hear it now than after another 6 months of building the wrong thing.

Cheers,

- Choi

--

P.S. Many of you might be writing your PEBCs in a few weeks. Shoot me a message if you have any questions I might be able to help you with!

EDIT: After you start the free trial, there's a referral box on the dashboard. Drop in code REDDIT2026 for bonus credits on top of everything the trial already unlocks. Small thank-you for taking the time to read this far.

https://preview.redd.it/fa6v3pwdauzg1.png?width=1715&format=png&auto=webp&s=e85cd3c3bdd6b3f3ff24e9249ca20a8acdee1734

https://preview.redd.it/di1h0rwdauzg1.png?width=1715&format=png&auto=webp&s=c00798585213ad3c5fe7c464eb619725bd71817c

P.P.S. Mods, if anything here's not permitted and needs to be edited, just let me know!

Hi everyone,

I recently got admitted to pharmacy school and I’m honestly really happy because pharmacy has been my dream for a long time. I only got accepted to a school that’s very far from my province, but I’m still extremely grateful because it’s a really good program and I know how competitive admissions can be.

At the same time, I’m trying to think realistically about the future. Moving away and studying there would put me in debt, and I know pharmacy school is a huge financial commitment. I was also admitted into a direct-entry PhD program at another university, so I’ve been comparing both paths a lot lately.

I wanted to ask current pharmacists or pharmacy students in Canada: how is the pharmacy market right now? Do you genuinely enjoy your work? Do you feel the career is still worth it despite the stress, loans, and changes happening in healthcare?

I’ve been reading mixed opinions online, especially about retail pharmacy, burnout, and the future of the profession, so I’d really appreciate honest perspectives from people actually working in the field.

Thank you :)