Proposed National Qualification Standard for Pharmacist Prescribing

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Consultation opens on proposed national standard for pharmacist prescribing

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The Pharmacy Board of Australia is inviting feedback on a proposed national qualification standard aimed at making pharmacist prescribing education more consistent across Australia.

Key points

• Pharmacists are increasingly prescribing scheduled medicines in community and hospital settings. However, each state and territory currently has different rules and education requirements for pharmacists who prescribe.
• The proposed endorsement would introduce a nationally consistent qualification and education standard that pharmacists would need to meet before prescribing - improving consistency across jurisdictions and strengthening public safety.
• The Board is seeking input from the public, health professionals and organisations to ensure the proposed standard addresses any issues or concerns. With pharmacist prescribing already in place in many communities across Australia, a new proposal aims to bring consistent national training standards to the practice.

‘We want to make sure that if a pharmacist is prescribing, that they’re doing so safely and to the high standard the community expects of a trusted health professional,’ Pharmacy Board of Australia Chair Dr Cameron Phillips said.

The Endorsement for scheduled medicines for pharmacists would build on the skills pharmacists already have in gathering information, making recommendations, communication and advising on the best use of medicines and options for treating minor ailments.

The Board has asked the Australian Pharmacy Council to consult on the Accreditation Standards for Pharmacist Prescriber education programs. This would ensure that pharmacist prescribers have training in physical examination, diagnostics, clinical decision-making, communication, record keeping and referral to other health professionals. It would also ensure pharmacist prescribers have training in physical examination, testing, diagnosis, clinical decision-making, communication, recordkeeping and referral to other health professionals.

'It's important to remember that this proposal is not about allowing pharmacists to prescribe or not,' Dr Phillips said. 'It's about setting a nationally consistent standard to ensure that all pharmacists have the same level of education to do so safely.'

The public consultation is open until 15 June and builds on previous comprehensive discussions with practitioners, governments and stakeholders.

‘We want to hear from a broad range of voices,’ Dr Phillips said. ‘Consultation is critical to making sure any proposed standards support safe prescribing by pharmacists and works effectively within Australia’s healthcare system.’

The Board has developed the draft endorsement following a request from Health Ministers in June 2025. Following consultation, the final endorsement will be sent to Health Ministers for review and approval.

There are more than 40,000 registered pharmacists in Australia. The Board supports and regulates the profession through a series of standards, codes and guidelines, with a strong focus on public safety.

How you can have your say

The Board is seeking feedback on:

1. a draft Registration Standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines
2. draft Guidelines: Endorsement for scheduled medicines The Board welcomes submissions from all interested parties, including members of the public, the profession and stakeholders. To make it easier to get involved, a consumer guide is available for anyone who wants to learn more and provide feedback.

Consultation is open until 15 June. The consultation pack is available on the Board’s website under Current consultations.

You can provide feedback by either:

• completing an online survey, or

• submitting a response using the template provided and sending it as a Word document (not PDF) to PharmBAFeedback@ahpra.gov.au
  ‘It’s important to remember that this proposal is not about allowing pharmacists to prescribe or not. It’s about setting a nationally consistent standard to ensure that all pharmacists who are prescribing have the same level of education to do so safely,’ – Pharmacy Board of Australia Chair Dr Cameron Phillips.