Intern section of the website

Please note portions of the intern section of the website are currently being amended. Information contained on some pages may indicate 'under development'. These amendments should be completed by 14 May 2008.

Pharmacy Practice Act commences

Her Excellency the Governor has confirmed that the Pharmacy Practice Act, which received assent in September 2006, will commence on 25 February 2008. The new Act replaces the Pharmacy Act 1964. The object of the Act is to protect the health and safety of members of the public in relation to the practice of pharmacy including providing mechanisms to ensure that pharmacists are fit to practise.

President of the Pharmacy Board of New South Wales, Gerry McInerney says "the Board welcomes the commencement of the new Act. This legislation confirms the Board's responsibility to protect public health and safety by promoting and maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and ethics in the pharmacy profession."

The new Act retains "pharmacist only" ownership of pharmacies but allows for the ownership of pharmacies by "pharmacist corporations", that is companies where all shareholders and directors are pharmacists.

The Act also provides for registration of pharmacy graduates as "intern pharmacists" to enable completion of the period of practical experience required for full registration. Applications for registration as an intern pharmacist are NOT available from this website. An information package including application forms will be mailed to all graduates presently enrolled in the Pharmacy Graduate Training Course (PGTC). There is no need to contact the Board prior to receipt of that information package.

For details see the media release available here

Compulsory Professional Indemnity Insurance

The Heath Care Liability Act 2001 provides that a person is not entitled to practise as a pharmacist unless the person is covered by professional indemnity insurance. The Pharmacy Board must not register a person as a pharmacist unless satisfied that the person will, while practising as a pharmacist, be covered by professional indemnity insurance. The Pharmacy Board may cancel the registration of a person as a pharmacist, or suspend a person from practising pharmacy, if the Board is satisfied that the person is not covered by professional indemnity insurance while the person is practising as a pharmacist. This requirement does not apply to, or in respect of, a pharmacist who is exempt under the regulations from the requirement to be covered by approved professional indemnity insurance.

Accordingly, the Pharmacy Board of New South Wales requires all pharmacists who apply for, or renew their registration as a pharmacist in New South Wales, to provide a declaration verifying their insurance coverage or details of any exemption. For pharmacists currently registered, the necessary forms will be included with your renewal notice.

Pharmacy Board Member Appointments

The Minister for Health recently confirmed the appointment of Members, President and Deputy President of the Board under the Pharmacy Practice Act 2006, for terms commencing on 1 October 2007. For details see the media release available here.


Revised recognition process for overseas trained pharmacists

The Council of Pharmacy Registering Authorities and the Australian Pharmacy Examining Council (APEC) have announced a revised recognition process for overseas trained pharmacists seeking registration in Australia.

From 1 December 2006, all overseas trained pharmacists, irrespective of their country of origin, will be required to be assessed for competency to practise in Australia by undertaking a formal APEC process.

A modified process will be introduced for eligible holders of qualifications from the UK, Ireland, USA and Canada.?? This will be a shortened process which??will require passing a new examination known as Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists (CAOP). CAOP will be offered four times a year in Australia and overseas.?? Succesfull applicants will be eligible for registration after they have satisfactorily completed a minimum period of four weeks supervised practice??in Australia and have satisfied an assessment by the state registering authority.?? This will include a national examination of pharmacy law and ethics.?? Pharmacists from other countries will continue to be assessed by the current process, which includes formal examination, longer periods of supervised pratice and a final assessment of competency.

New Zealand pharmacists will continue to be exempt from APEC requirements.?? New Zealand's educational qualifications are closely linked to Australia's through shared accreditation requirements and practice standards are similar.

Disciplinary Decisions

To access the Board's disciplinary decisions since 1990. Please visit:
www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/nsw/NSWPB/