Pharmacy in Australia

What you can expect from undergraduate study in Pharmacy

What you're in for
Pharmacy is a specialised field that has a great deal to offer those with a passion for science, health care and for working with people. Pharmacy courses tend to be tightly regulated by the profession and are competitive to get into, usually demanding high ENTER and Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) scores. Yet graduates who succeed in getting through the often demanding four-year courses can look forward to excellent employment prospects in the face of significant skills shortages (see below).
The number of students studying pharmacy at bachelor degree level, though low compared with many other fields of study, does not so much reflect the popularity of the field or courses, but more the limited number of courses and places on offer. In all, courses in pharmacy are available at just 12 campuses throughout the country (except for in the ACT). And as such, the limited number of available places is reflected in the high entry scores.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations’ Australian Jobs 2006 reports there are currently around 15 000 registered pharmacists working in Australia. Of these, around 55.6 per cent are female.
Degree courses in pharmacy typically centre around four core areas of study: medicinal chemistry (the chemistry of drugs); pharmacology (the action of drugs); pharmaceutics (the formulation of drug dosages); and pharmacy practice (the application of all aspects of pharmacy to professional practice). Courses typically include a component of practical placement, usually in the later years of the course, which may involve work placements in hospitals and community pharmacies.
In order to practise, pharmacy graduates in every State and Territory must complete a required period of pre-registration training under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. The majority of pharmacy graduates complete their pre-registration year in either community pharmacies (around 65 per cent) or hospital pharmacies (around 34 per cent). The specific requirements for pre-registration training vary depending on the State/Territory but typically include a specified number of hours’ practical experience usually taken over 12 months. You should check the specific pre-registration requirements with the Pharmacy Board of your state.
For more information visit the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia website at www.psa.org.au or the Pharmacy Guild of Australia website at www.guild.org.au .
If you have an interest in this field you may also want to consider other health-related fields such as nursing, medicine, health services and support, rehabilitation, and veterinary science.
What’s happening?
The pharmacy profession is one of several that is experiencing significant skills shortages. Both hospital and retail pharmacists are currently listed on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s list of migration occupations in demand. And a recent report on Australia’s graduates and the job market cites pharmacy as one of the fields in which there are simply not enough graduates to meet the increasing demand. The upside of such shortages is that they are likely to ensure employment prospects for pharmacists remain extremely positive for several years to come.
A new degree structure that has already been established in some fields at selected institutions has the potential to become an option in pharmacy. The structure follows a US-style model where undergraduates enter a general pre-professional degree (perhaps in science or applied science) and then transfer to a postgraduate qualification in pharmacy.
On average, how tough is it to get into Pharmacy courses?
Very Tough
Who does undergraduate courses in Pharmacy?
Number of students: 4,846
Percent of students over 25 years: 9%
Percent of students from non-English speaking backgrounds: 51%
Number of international students: 969
Percent studying part time: 8%
Percent studying externally: 0%
Percent women: 64%
Tuition costs
Average tuition fees for international students $81,976 per annum
Average tuition fees for domestic fee-paying students $75,832 per annum
Graduates views of the course experience
Teaching quality: 1 star
Development of generic skills: 1 star
Overall satisfaction: 2 stars
Your prospects
In recent years and again this year graduates have emerged with low levels of satisfaction, and their ratings are still below average. However, job prospects for both pre- and post-registration pharmacy graduates are excellent and among the best for any field of study, with almost 100 per cent employment. Future employment is also set to be extremely strong in this field.
The majority of pharmacy graduates are employed in the private sector (72 per cent) and in state public sector (25 per cent). After registration they typically work in community pharmacies (67 per cent) or hospital pharmacies (30 per cent), with the remainder finding employment in other areas.
At around $33 300, starting salaries for pharmacy graduates (pre-registration) are very low compared with most other fields of study. However, upon registration — typically 12 months after graduation — salaries rise significantly to an average of around $60 000. In terms of post-registration salaries there is currently a marked disparity in the salaries of male and female pharmacists, with females typically earning around 80 per cent of their male counterparts’ salaries.
What salary can I expect?
Graduate starting salary: $33,291
Will I get a job?
Percentage of graduates looking for job who did not find full time work four months after graduation: 1%
Where graduates go when they do get jobs
Public sector: 25%
Private sector: 72%
Private practice: 0%
Overseas: 3%
Will I need to go on to further study?
How many graduates immediately go on to further study? 10%
How does Pharmacy compare with other fields of study?
Click here to compare Pharmacy with the other 29 fields of study.
How difficult is it to get into undergraduate courses in Pharmacy?
Click here for entry toughness to non-combined courses.
Do institutions differ in how they teach Pharmacy?
Yes. The following 13 campuses all provide Pharmacy courses. Click on the campus name to find out more about the individual campuses. Click on the University name to see how their Pharmacy courses rate and compare.
Charles Darwin University: Casuarina
Charles Sturt University: Orange, Wagga Wagga
Curtin University of Technology: Bentley
Griffith University: Gold Coast
James Cook University: Townsville
La Trobe University: Bendigo
Monash University: Parkville
Queensland University of Technology: Gardens Point
University of Queensland: St Lucia
University of South Australia: City East
University of Sydney: Camperdown/Darlington
University of Tasmania: Hobart