- Pharmacy Assistant
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Industrial Pharmacist
- Retail Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Technician
- Compounding Pharmacist
Become a healthcare leader and ensure our use of medicine is safe and secure by studying an exciting pharmacy course.
Start a rewarding new career supporting people to achieve good health by studying a pharmacy course.
Equipping you with the foundational knowledge and practical skills required to successfully assess and administer a range of medicines, a pharmacy course will position you to lead in an exciting and growing area of medicine.
If you’re seeking a challenge from your career and want to use your skills to help people, consider working as a pharmacist.
As a pharmacist, you’ll ensure the safe and quality use of medicines, and contribute to researching, testing and monitoring medicine therapy. You’ll contribute to the advancement of our knowledge of medicine by evaluating and testing different medicines, and advance pharmaceutical science by trialling and developing new medical products. By combining your scientific knowledge with your strong people skills, you’ll translate complex and intimidating medical concepts to a range of patients, and use your skills to help people achieve great health.
With a growing and ageing population, Australia’s need for skilled health professionals is greater than ever. By studying a pharmacy course, you’ll build the in-demand skills required to contribute to a growing and critical medical role. The Department of Employment predicts an estimated 5,000 new pharmacists will be needed in Australia by 2020, and by studying a pharmacy course, you’ll gain the critical skills and insights required to work in this emerging profession.
You may study a pharmacy course as bachelor’s or master’s degree. After completing your course, you’ll likely obtain registration and begin a career working as a pharmacist, in a community, retail or hospital-based role.
If you enjoy working with people, like a challenge and want to use your skills to help people thrive, consider studying an exciting and rewarding pharmacy course.
What do pharmacy graduates do?
After completing a pharmacy course, you’ll work as a pharmacist, performing tasks like:
- Receiving prescriptions, checking patients’ medicine histories, and checking optimal dosage and methods of administration and drug compatibility before dispensing;
- Preparing or supervising the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines, ointments, powders, tablets and other medications to fill prescriptions;
- Advising prescribers on drug incompatibility and contra-indications;
- Reviewing and monitoring the medicine therapy of individual patients and assessing the effectiveness of total medicine therapy;
- Maintaining prescription files and recording issues of narcotics, poisons and habit-forming drugs;
- Storing and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs subject to deterioration;
- Supplying non-prescription medicines, and diagnostic and therapeutic aids;
- Supervising and coordinating the work of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy interns and pharmacy sales assistants;
- Conducting research to develop and improve pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related chemical products;
- Liaising with chemists, engineering professionals and other professionals about manufacturing techniques and ingredients;
- Testing and analysing drugs to determine their identity, purity and strength in relation to specific standards;
- Developing standards for drugs used in pharmaceuticals;
- Managing patient records and paperwork; and
- Performing basic customer service with patients.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
You may work in a community, retail or hospital-based role.
After completing a pharmacy course, you’ll likely work as a:
You’ll enjoy working as a pharmacist if you:
- Love helping people
- Are highly motivated
- Enjoy being challenged
- Can focus on details
- Have a scientific mind
- Have good time management and organisational skills
- Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Work well with people
- Enjoy solving problems
- Are a natural leader
- Can work well independently and in a team
- Are interested in science and medicine
Job opportunities
The Australian Government’s Job Outlook describes the pharmacy sector as a medium-sized and growing industry. Currently employing approximately 25,100 people, it has been growing in size for the past decade and is predicted to continue growing at a similar rate in the future. Job Outlook expects that approximately 30,000 people will be employed as pharmacists in Australia by 2020.
The size of the profession indicates that roles are available for pharmacists in most areas of Australia.
Average Salaries
According to PayScale, a pharmacist can earn between $47,000 and $90,000, depending on experience, with an average salary of $68,000.