{"id":574075,"date":"2026-03-30T11:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/574075\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T11:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:42:11","slug":"how-will-australias-pharmacy-workforce-respond-to-megatrends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/574075\/","title":{"rendered":"How will Australia\u2019s pharmacy workforce respond to megatrends?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A national workforce planning initiative is underway to better understand how the pharmacy profession must evolve to meet changing healthcare needs \u2013 and it could soon reshape how pharmacists practise for decades to come.<\/p>\n

Commissioned by the federal government as part of the Strategic Agreement on Pharmacist Professional Practice<\/a>, PSA has engaged the University of Queensland\u2019s Centre for Business and Economics of Health to lead a whole-of-profession workforce forecast.<\/p>\n

To kick off the consultation process, two all-day workshops bringing pharmacy leaders together across all settings took place in Brisbane and Melbourne last week, with valuable consumer insights also included.<\/p>\n

UQ\u2019s Associate Professor Jean Spinks said the scale of change facing the profession makes this work both necessary and overdue.<\/p>\n

\u2018An updated strategic vision for the profession is required, given there\u2019s been massive change over the last decade \u2013 including to the profession, scope of practice and the changing needs of the population,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

The modelling approach will start with the needs of the population that can be addressed by pharmacists to estimate what the size and composition of the pharmacy workforce should look like.<\/p>\n

Pharmacy to become a needs-based workforce<\/p>\n

The shift towards a needs-based model marks a fundamental change in how pharmacy workforce planning is approached \u2013 placing patient need, rather than service supply, at the centre.<\/p>\n

It also demands a broader understanding of where pharmacists can add value across the health system, particularly for priority populations.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u2018How do we reach them better, and what does that mean for the required skills and competencies of our workforce?\u2019 A\/Prof Spinks asked.<\/p>\n

Consultation has already identified a wide range of priority groups who could benefit from improved access to pharmacy services.<\/p>\n

Key populations include people living with chronic conditions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s also alcohol and drug services \u2013 particularly gaps in methadone and buprenorphine services,\u2019 A\/Prof Spinks said.<\/p>\n

The discussions have also highlighted growing need among people living with dementia, disability and complex health conditions \u2013 and the potential for pharmacists to play a greater role in supporting these groups.<\/p>\n

\u2018We discussed whether we should be more involved with NDIS [National Disability Insurance Scheme] funding channels,\u2019 she said. \u2018It\u2019s about how we meet those needs within our existing regulations, structures and funding models \u2013 bearing in mind that we\u2019ve got to think about wherever a medicine is, there should be a pharmacist.\u2019<\/p>\n

A profession-wide response to workforce pressure<\/p>\n

Expanding scope of practice is placing increasing pressure on pharmacists, particularly balancing dispensing with growing service delivery demands \u2013 raising important questions about safety, quality and workforce capacity.<\/p>\n

\u2018Even now with vaccination, how many scripts is it safe to dispense in a day versus how many vaccinations at the same time?\u2019 A\/Prof Spinks asked. \u2018We haven\u2019t really re-examined some of those aspects of both the quality and safety of care as it relates to workforce pressures.\u2019<\/p>\n

The modelling therefore takes a whole-of-profession approach, spanning all practice settings and recognising the need for stronger team-based care.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re working with experts across sectors to ensure we capture hospital, community and aged care settings, and also the role of technicians and assistants,\u2019 she said. \u2018You need to be able to have additional hands on deck to support expansion into additional settings.\u2019<\/p>\n

For PSA\u2019s Head of Policy and Strategy Chris Campbell FPS, the significance of this work lies in its potential to unify the profession under a shared, forward-looking plan.<\/p>\n

\u2018As a government-commissioned report, it will include policy recommendations, and we hope it helps shape the direction needed to support care delivered by pharmacists wherever medicines are,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018This isn\u2019t just about having the data. We also need a whole-of-workforce plan \u2013 something that\u2019s been missing for the profession. And importantly, this isn\u2019t PSA\u2019s plan, it\u2019s the profession\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n

\u2018By global standards Australia does have a really vibrant community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy sector and these are strengths that we need to build on in the future.\u2019<\/p>\n

Primary care in focus<\/p>\n

One area where workforce reform is expected to have significant impact is primary care, particularly through the expansion of GP pharmacist roles.<\/p>\n

Medicines use is rising, complexity is increasing, and so too is the risk of medicines-related harm. There\u2019s also growing pressure on the GP workforce alongside the escalating costs of care through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), said GP pharmacist Brooke Shelly FPS, 2024 PSA MIMS Credentialed Pharmacist of the Year.<\/p>\n

\u2018As reflected in repeated federal budget submissions from both the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association, GPs are actively calling for pharmacists to be part of the team,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

\u2018We are asking more of medicines than ever before, yet we still haven\u2019t consistently embedded the workforce best trained to manage them in the very setting where most prescribing occurs, general practice.<\/p>\n

\u2018Where pharmacists are embedded, we are already seeing improvements in quality use of medicines, more appropriate deprescribing, and better continuity of care.\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite this, workforce limitations are often driven by system constraints rather than lack of pharmacist interest.<\/p>\n

\u2018We often talk about the workforce being small, but that reflects the constraints of current Home Medicines Review (HMR) and Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) programs and the system more broadly,\u2019 she said.
\u2018Unlock a clear, funded pathway for the GP Pharmacist role, and you will see a rapid surge in pharmacists seeking credentialing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Distribution also matters; workforce challenges are not just about numbers, but about ensuring pharmacists are embedded where patient need is greatest \u2013 particularly in rural and regional communities where these models of care are often essential.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ultimately, the focus now is on building the structures that allow this workforce to be embedded where it can deliver the greatest impact, while continuing to support and strengthen existing programs such as HMRs and RMMRs that remain a critical part of the broader medicines safety framework,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

When the plan comes together, Professor Lisa Nissen FPS \u2013 Director, and Taylor Family Chair, of the University of Queensland\u2019s Centre for the Business and Economics of Health \u2013 said it represents a critical opportunity to rethink the role of pharmacists in Australia\u2019s health system.<\/p>\n

\u2018There has not been a structured workforce planning activity in the pharmacy profession since 2009 for the 4th Community Pharmacy Agreement,\u2019 she said. \u2018And much of this previous work and modelling also focused on traditional roles for pharmacists in supply chain activities.\u2019<\/p>\n

As pharmacists\u2019 roles expand and the pharmacy workforce is increasingly utilised in patient care, a clearer understanding of the future workforce composition and size \u2013 including pharmacists, assistants and technicians \u2013 will be critical to supporting healthcare needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018This will help form the foundation for PSA and other groups to strategically plan for workforce development,\u2019 Prof Nissen said.<\/p>\n

Consultation will continue over the coming months, with PSA maintaining an open submissions process. A series of online focus groups is also scheduled for April, including at least one session dedicated specifically to exploring workforce needs in rural and remote areas<\/p>\n

As for the final report, tight timelines for the modelling reflect strong interest in progressing workforce reform.<\/p>\n

\u2018The federal government wants the [model] delivered by 30 June,\u2019 A\/Prof Spinks said.
\u2018They want to move on it quickly \u2013 and that\u2019s encouraging.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A national workforce planning initiative is underway to better understand how the pharmacy profession must evolve to meet…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":574076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-574075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=574075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=574075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=574075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=574075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}