Hospital pharmacists’ negotiations: Ministers Dubé, Duranceau asked to intervene
Posted November 27, 2025 11:50 am.
Last Updated November 27, 2025 12:14 pm.
Negotiations to renew the work agreement for institutional pharmacists have stalled. Pharmacists are asking Ministers Christian Dubé and France-Élaine Duranceau to intervene to break the deadlock in the discussions, which are no longer progressing.
Given the acute shortage of pharmacists in hospitals and long-term care facilities, the Association des pharmaciens des établissements de santé du Québec (A.P.E.S.) believes that the current situation “cannot continue.” It asserts that only the intervention of the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Health will allow for a rapid conclusion to the ongoing negotiations.
The working agreement with institutional pharmacists expired in March 2023.
“The A.P.E.S. is committed to settling the negotiations by Christmas, but with the mandates currently in the hands of the employer, it is impossible to achieve this goal. We have still not addressed the core issues of the negotiations, even though our work agreement expired nearly three years ago,” said Linda Vaillant, pharmacist and executive director of the APES, in a press release.
“That’s why it’s time for ministers to step up and give negotiators the mandates that will finally allow us to have real discussions. It’s their responsibility to do so,” she adds.
The shortage of pharmacists has been going on for 20 years, according to the A.P.E.S. The situation is worse than ever. According to their staffing data, 20 per cent of pharmacist positions in institutions were unfilled as of April 1, 2025, representing 379 positions in hospitals, CHSLDs, and seniors’ homes in Quebec. In 2022, 18 per cent of positions were unfilled.
These data only concern existing positions and not the actual needs to meet growing demand, particularly due to the aging population and the increase in chronic diseases.
On the other hand, the next generation is not stepping up. You have to complete a master’s degree at university to become a hospital pharmacist. However, this year, only 70 of the 120 scholarships were offered to pursue master’s studies. The A.P.E.S. is calling on decision-makers to implement solutions. According to the association, transitioning resident pharmacists to employee status rather than scholarship status would increase interest in this career.
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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
