Pharmacy

Salary:

• Pharmacists have a 10-step progression salary scale 

  • Salaries range between NZ $77K - NZ $116K

• Designated Pharmacists (e.g. Team Leader, Professional Advisor etc.) have a 10-step progression salary scale

  • Salaries range between NZ $111K - NZ $151K 

• Penal and call-back rates.

Allowances:

• Higher duties and on-call allowances.

Leave:

• 4 weeks of paid annual leave (increases to 5 weeks after 5 years of service).

  • Shift employees are entitled to up to an additional 5 days’ annual leave on completion of 12 months of employment on shift work.

• A minimum of 10 days of paid sick leave per annum.

• 6-12 months of parental leave, depending on the length of service.

  • Up to 14 weeks of paid parental leave

• 12 paid public holidays + time in lieu/alternative holiday if rostered on.

Pharmacists' Collective Agreement:

In New Zealand, the salary and other benefits of some roles are determined by collective agreements between unions and employers. The full Pharmacists collective agreement can be found on the Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora website here.

Additional benefits:

• Reimbursement of your Professional Registration costs.

• Health NZ covers your professional indemnity insurance.

• Time allocated for your Continuing Professional Development.

Further development opportunities may include:

• Further study: Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters in Pharmacy study options are offered at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.

• Clinical Pharmacists work directly with healthcare teams to optimise medication therapy, particularly for complex cases.

• Pharmacist Prescriber: Clinical Pharmacists with experience working in multidisciplinary clinical health teams can further specialise as Pharmacist Prescribers, by completing additional studies.

  • The two currently accredited programmes are:

    • Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy in Prescribing offered by the University of Auckland.

    • Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing offered by the University of Otago.

• Other accredited study programmes can be found on the Pharmaceutical Society website here.

• New Zealand Hospital Pharmacy Association provide a number of educational events across the year.

Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi:

• All Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora employees are expected to have an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) and be committed to implementing the principles within professional practice 

Hospital-based Pharmacists:

Hospital Pharmacists in New Zealand ensure the safe and effective use of medicines in our hospitals. Their key responsibilities include:

• Dispensing and managing medications, ensuring they are safe and appropriate for each patient.

• Collaborating with healthcare teams to advise on treatments, adjusting doses, and suggesting alternatives when needed.

• Teaching patients about their medications, including usage, side effects, and adherence to their treatment plans.

• Providing detailed medication information and preparing custom medications when required.

• Tracking patients' responses to treatment, preventing medication errors, and adjusting therapies as necessary.

• Supervision, training and support of technicians, intern pharmacists and students

• Participating in an on-call service

• Partaking in interdisciplinary education 

• Some hospitals have additional roles for pharmacists, such as Medication Safety, Informatics, Electronic Medicines Management, Cold Chain and clinical trials oversight

Clinical Pharmacists:

A clinical pharmacist in New Zealand focuses on optimising patient care through safe and effective medication use. Their key responsibilities include:

• Assessing patient needs, reviewing prescriptions, and adjusting treatment plans to ensure optimal outcomes.

• Tracking patient responses to medications and working closely with healthcare teams to provide medication-related advice.

• Teaching patients about medication usage, side effects, and the importance of adherence.

• Reviewing patient medication histories during transitions of care to prevent errors.

• Conducting medicine chart reviews, participating in consultant-led ward rounds, multidisciplinary team meetings, and answering medicines information enquiries.

• Monitoring drug levels in the bloodstream to ensure therapeutic, safe and effective dosing.

Prescribing Pharmacists:

When a clinical pharmacist becomes a prescribing pharmacist, their scope of practice expands, allowing them to independently prescribe medications under specific condition

Their increased responsibilities include:

• Prescribing pharmacists can assess patients' medical conditions, diagnose ailments within their area of expertise, and determine appropriate medication therapies.

• They are authorised to prescribe medications directly to patients, without needing a doctor’s approval. This can include adjusting dosages, switching therapies, and initiating treatments for conditions they are trained to manage.

• They also provide ongoing patient care by monitoring the effectiveness of the prescribed treatments, making necessary adjustments, and following up with patients to ensure the therapy is achieving the desired result

Pharmacy Qualification:

• You must hold an approved qualification in Pharmacy. Common pathways include:

  • A Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Auckland or the University of Otago.

  • An overseas qualification that is assessed as equivalent to New Zealand standards by the PCNZ.

Registration with the PCNZ:

• All Pharmacists are required to be registered with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand.

• If you’re applying to register with the Pharmacy Council for the first time, we must ensure you’re fit for registration. It’s a requirement of the HPCA Act 2003.

Annual Practising Certificate (APC):

• To practice as a Pharmacist you must hold a valid Annual Practising Certificate (APC), which is renewed annually.

• To maintain the APC, you must:

  • Provide evidence of ongoing competence.

  • Demonstrate participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.

Other helpful links:

• Pharmacy Council of New Zealand
• The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand
• New Zealand Hospital Pharmacy Association (NZHPA)
• Māori Pharmacists Association

Registration pathway for Canada, Ireland, the UK and USA candidates:

To apply for registration as a Pharmacist in New Zealand under the Recognised Equivalent Qualifications Route (REQR), pharmacists must:

1. Hold a pharmacy degree from Canada, Ireland, the UK, or the USA, or have completed an approved programme (PEBC, OSPAP, or NAPLEX) in one of these countries.

2. Be currently registered and in good standing with the pharmacy registration authority in their home country.

Applicants must pass the CAOP (Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists) exam, delivered by the Australian Pharmacy Council. After passing, they have two years to apply for registration in New Zealand. Supporting documentation includes certificates of professional status, criminal conviction records, CAOP results, and a work history.

A pharmacist must also hold an annual practising certificate, initially under supervision, until all conditions are met for an unconditional practising certificate.

Registration pathway for Australian candidates:

To become a Pharmacist you will need to:

• Complete a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Auckland or the University of Otago; and then

• Complete an internship of one year working in a hospital or community pharmacy; and also 

• Register with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand.

Clinical Pharmacists:

• To become a clinical pharmacist you need to do three or more years of on-the-job training and post-graduate study.

Prescribing Pharmacists:

• To become a Pharmacist Prescriber you must complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy in Prescribing from the University of Auckland or a Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing from the University of Otago.