Graduating soon? What you need to know for provisional registration as a pharmacist

14 Sep 2020

Are you in your final year of an approved program of study and excited about starting supervised work as a pharmacist?

Before you can start practising under supervision, or using the protected title, ‘pharmacist’, you must be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (the Board).

If you’re about to graduate or set to graduate within the next three months and you’ve got your supervised practice arrangements (internship) signed off – we recommend you start your application for provisional registration now.

How do I apply?

1. Create your account using the online services portal and complete your application
2. Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documentation to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID, and your correctly completed and signed application for approval of supervised practice.
3. Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra.

Once we’ve received your graduate results from your education provider and we are satisfied that you have met all the requirements for registration, we will finalise your application.

When registered, we will publish your name to the online national register of practitioners (the public register). Before beginning your supervised practice hours, you’ll need to check the public register to confirm that you hold provisional registration and that your supervised practice arrangements have been approved.

How can I help ensure I’m registered in time to start work?

You’ll find advice on how to apply as well as tips for avoiding common causes of delay on the Graduate applications page on the Ahpra website.

Arrange your supervised practice and submit your correctly completed and signed application for approval of supervised practice.

Check out Ahpra’s new video and accompanying information flyers all designed to help you when applying for registration.

What do I need to do for registration?

When you apply for registration, your application is carefully assessed against the Board’s requirements for registration.

For provisional registration as a pharmacist, you need to prove that you meet the following standards:

• English language skills, and
• professional indemnity insurance.

We will also ask you to disclose any criminal history and to declare whether you have any health impairments that may affect your ability to practise.

You are also required to have your supervised practice arrangements approved by the Board in accordance with its Registration standard: Supervised practice arrangements before commencing your internship.

A short, animated video for pharmacy graduates is published on the Board's website. It outlines the standards that must be met to become registered and also the professional standards expected of the pharmacy profession in order to stay registered.

We cannot register you until we are satisfied that you meet the standards for registration, and are suitably qualified, and your supervised practice arrangements are in place.

How can I make sure my Photo ID documents are certified correctly?

It’s important that you provide correctly certified photo ID documents with your application. We need to meet the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s requirements for photo ID checks.

The wording they require is very specific and may look different to wording you’ve seen before, so double check you’ve got the wording right before submitting your application. Incorrectly certified documents will cause delay.

Getting it right the first time

Get your photographic identity documents signed by an authorised offer and make sure they use the correct wording:

‘I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me.’

To get it right the first time download the guide Certifying Documents: Instructions for applicants and authorised officers from our website and take it with you to the authorised officer.

The guide includes a full list of professionals in addition to JPs, that are authorised to certify photographic ID documents. These include various registered health professions including pharmacists, public servants, teachers, lecturers and members of the legal profession.

How long does it take to assess my application?

We can’t finalise your application until we receive your graduate results from your education provider.

If you’ve submitted everything you need to prove you’ve met the requirements for registration, we aim to finalise your application within two weeks of receiving your graduate results.

We recommend that you submit your application before you graduate and as soon as your supervised practice arrangements (internship) are signed off so that it’s ready to finalise when we receive your results.

For more information

For registration enquiries, difficulties in accessing the online application form, or if you are experiencing financial hardship: 1300 419 495 (within Australia).

For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200