Demand for Pharmacists in Australia

Are Pharmacists in Demand in Australia?

Yes, pharmacists continue to play an important role in Australia’s healthcare system.

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, approximately 46,300 people are employed as pharmacists in Australia, with pharmacists working across community pharmacies, hospitals, healthcare services, pharmaceutical businesses, research and related industries. The occupation recorded annual employment growth of about 2,900 in the latest available profile.

Pharmacists are involved in much more than dispensing medicines. Their responsibilities can include:

The Australian pharmacy workforce includes retail pharmacists, hospital pharmacists and industrial pharmacists, each with different responsibilities and career opportunities.

How Much Does a Pharmacist Earn in Australia?

The pharmacist salary in Australia varies depending on experience, registration status, location, employer, area of pharmacy and whether you work in a community, hospital or another setting.

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, pharmacists have median full-time earnings of A$1,956 per week, before tax. The median hourly earnings figure is A$52. Pharmacist salary in Australia at a glance

*The annual and monthly figures are simple calculations based on the weekly median and are not an official annual salary figure. Actual earnings can vary.

The figures are based on Australian Bureau of Statistics earnings data used by Jobs and Skills Australia. They represent median earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate and should be treated as a guide rather than a guaranteed salary.

What affects pharmacist salary in Australia?

Your income may depend on:

An overseas pharmacist may also earn differently during the registration and supervised-practice stages compared with a fully registered pharmacist.

How to Become a Pharmacist in Australia

The pathway depends on where you obtained your pharmacy qualification.

For an Australian pharmacy graduate, the pathway generally involves completing an approved pharmacy program, provisional registration, supervised practice and the requirements for general registration.

For an international pharmacist, the process can involve an Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) skills assessment and an examination before moving into the Australian registration pathway.

The broad pathway for an overseas-qualified pharmacist is:

Pharmacy qualification → APC eligibility assessment → Relevant APC examination → Skills Assessment Outcome → Provisional registration → Supervised practice → Registration requirements → General registration

The exact pathway depends on your qualification and country of training.

Why registration matters

A pharmacy qualification from another country does not automatically allow you to practise as a pharmacist in Australia.

To practise pharmacy, you need to be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia through Ahpra. Migration and professional registration are related but separate processes.

How to Become a Pharmacist in Australia from India

If you are an Indian pharmacist, your overseas pharmacy qualification generally falls under the APC’s Knowledge Stream pathway, provided it meets the applicable eligibility requirements.

The current pathway for many pharmacists qualified outside Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and USA involves an eligibility check followed by the OPRA® (Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment) examination.

Typical pathway for an Indian pharmacist

1. Check your pharmacy qualification eligibility.

2. Apply for an APC eligibility check.

3. Prepare for and pass the OPRA® examination, where the Knowledge Stream applies.

4. Obtain your Skills Assessment Outcome from APC.

5. Apply for the relevant provisional registration pathway through Ahpra/Pharmacy Board of Australia.

6. Complete the required supervised practice.

7. Meet the remaining registration requirements, including the applicable registration examination requirements.

8. Obtain general registration when all requirements have been satisfied.

9. Apply for suitable pharmacist jobs in Australia.

10. Pursue an appropriate Australian visa or permanent residence pathway, if eligible

APC states that applicants who qualify under the Knowledge Stream must first pass the eligibility check and then the OPRA® examination. After successfully completing the required assessment process, the Skills Assessment Outcome can be used to support a visa application with the Department of Home Affairs.

Can an Indian pharmacist work in Australia?

Yes, an Indian pharmacist can work as a pharmacist in Australia, but an Indian pharmacy degree does not by itself provide automatic permission to practise. You need to follow the applicable overseas-qualified pharmacist pathway, obtain the required assessment and meet Australian registration requirements.

Pharmacist Skills Assessment in Australia

The pharmacist skills assessment in Australia is an important step for overseas-trained pharmacists who want to migrate to Australia.

The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) conducts skills assessments for pharmacists for migration purposes. APC also assesses the knowledge, skills and competency of internationally trained pharmacists against Australian standards.

There are different assessment streams depending on where you obtained your qualification.

Knowledge Stream

The Knowledge Stream generally applies to pharmacists who completed their pharmacy qualification outside Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and USA, subject to the applicable eligibility requirements.

The process includes:

For the current Knowledge Stream, APC states that the pharmacy qualification generally needs to incorporate the relevant knowledge of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences and meet specified academic-duration requirements.

Competency Stream

The Competency Stream applies to eligible pharmacists who completed an approved pharmacy qualification in Canada, Ireland, the UK or the USA and are currently registered as pharmacists in the relevant country.

This pathway involves the CAOP® (Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists) examination.

Important update about KAPS and OPRA®

If you find older articles referring to the KAPS examination, be careful.

The APC’s current Knowledge Stream uses the OPRA® examination. APC describes OPRA® as the Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment and states that it assesses the biomedical, pharmaceutical and clinical sciences underlying pharmacy practice in Australia.

Pharmacist Registration in Australia

Pharmacist registration in Australia is handled through the Pharmacy Board of Australia and Ahpra.
For an overseas-trained pharmacist, successfully completing the APC assessment is an important part of the journey, but it does not automatically mean that you are fully registered.

After completing the relevant APC examination and assessment stages, an overseas pharmacist may need to apply for provisional registration and complete an approved period of supervised practice before progressing to general registration.

General pathway

A simplified pathway looks like this:

APC assessment → Relevant exam → Provisional registration → Supervised practice → Registration examination/requirements → General registration

The exact requirements can change depending on your circumstances, qualification and registration pathway, so applicants should always check the current Pharmacy Board of Australia and Ahpra requirements before applying.

Pharmacist Jobs in Australia

There are several career options for a pharmacist in Australia.

1. Community or retail pharmacist

Retail pharmacists work directly with patients in community pharmacies. Their responsibilities include dispensing prescriptions, advising customers, reviewing medication histories and providing information about medicines.

2. Hospital pharmacist

Hospital pharmacists work within healthcare teams and may be involved in medication management, clinical pharmacy services, inpatient and outpatient care and collaboration with doctors and other healthcare professionals.

3. Industrial pharmacist

Industrial pharmacists can work in pharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing, testing, quality control and related areas. Jobs and Skills Australia identifies industrial pharmacy as one of the major pharmacist occupation categories.

4. Other pharmacy-related careers

Experienced pharmacists may also explore opportunities in:

For overseas pharmacists, it is important to understand that some pharmacist positions require Australian registration, while certain pharmacy-related roles may have different requirements.

Can Pharmacists Get PR in Australia?

Yes, pharmacists can potentially obtain permanent residency in Australia, but there is no automatic PR simply because you are a pharmacist.

Your eligibility depends on factors such as:

The Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation information currently lists Hospital Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251511) and Retail Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251513) against a number of skilled and employer-sponsored visa pathways, including subclasses such as 190, 491, 482 and 186, subject to the specific requirements of each visa.

This means pharmacist PR Australia ( Check your Australia PR points ) can be a realistic goal for eligible applicants, but you should not assume that every pharmacist qualifies for every skilled visa.

The APC notes that its Skills Assessment Outcome supports migration applications, while pharmacist registration is handled through the Pharmacy Board of Australia via Ahpra.

FAQs About Pharmacists in Australia