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How to Migrate to Australia As A Pharmacist in 2023

In Australia, most pharmacists work in retail or healthcare facilities serving their local communities.

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Pharmacists are licensed to prescribe prescriptions and are highly regarded experts.

They are competent in counseling healthcare professionals, patients, and others. They can also handle essential tasks, including filling prescriptions, keeping track of patients’ medications, promoting primary healthcare, etc.

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However, there are a few requirements that you must be fully aware of to become a pharmacist in Australia.

To begin with, they must pass the Australia Pharmacy Council’s Skills Assessment (APC)

And then enroll with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA) of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to obtain the Skilled Visa necessary to enter Australia and practice as a pharmacist.

The following are frequent pharmacy occupations for immigrants to Australia:

  • Neighborhood Pharmacist (retail pharmacist)
  • Healthcare pharmacist
  • Pharmacist in Industry
  • Pharmacy Assistant

We shall examine the entire registration and immigration procedure on how to migrate to Australia as a pharmacist in this article.

how to migrate to Australia as a pharmacist

The requirements and the migration process for pharmacy technicians and industrial pharmacists.

1. International Pharmacist Skills Evaluation Criteria

A Stream

In this stream, you have to:

Possess a valid pharmacy license (minimum 4 years pharmacy degree).

You must be qualified for registration in your country of origin or already be registered there.

A registration eligibility letter would also be necessary if you have studied abroad.

APC’s initial skill evaluation.

To put your knowledge to the test, sign up for the KAPS exam (Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Science).

After that has been accomplished, fulfill AHPRA’s registration requirements.

B Stream

This stream requires that you:

Possess a pharmacy degree that has been approved in a Stream B country (UK, Ireland, USA & Canada)

Be registered in the nation where you initially earned your qualification (Stream B).

Hold a certificate of good standing issued within the last ten years by every jurisdiction.

Possess a working first aid certificate issued by an authorized entity in Australia or a nation in Stream B.

Enter and succeed on the Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists (CAOP) Exam.

Comply with AHPRA’s registration requirements upon its successful completion.

Documents Needed For Skills Evaluation

Now, you must provide the following papers to finish the application and get the Skills Assessment Eligibility Letter from the APC:

– Identification papers (valid passport and passport-size photograph).

Qualifications (certificate of pharmacy degree and transcripts).

Evidence that you have been registered as a pharmacist in your nation.

Experience from the workplace in the original APC work reference templates.

The curriculum vitae.

You will obtain approval from the APC to validate your pharmacy degree in Australia within 8 weeks of submitting all the necessary paperwork. At that point, you can sit for the KAPS exam (if you receive a positive skill assessment).

When you pass the test, you’ll get an email confirming it, and you’ll also get a printed copy of your Skills Assessment Eligibility Letter.

Exam MAPSS.

The KAPS exam consists of two papers:

Paper 1 covers pharmacology, physiology, and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Therapeutics and pharmaceutics, Paper No. 2

English Is Needed

IELTS (academic): a minimum of 7 in each of the four sections (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) and a total score of 7.5; OET: a pass overall with only grades A or B in each of the four sections; both of these requirements must be met in one sitting.

To apply for universal registration, results must be attained within the previous two years.

Pharmacist Registration With Ahpra

The 14 National Boards are supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) in their duties to safeguard the public and provide guidelines and rules that all licensed healthcare professionals must follow.

After receiving the eligibility letter, you must submit an application to the pharmacy board for the general registration of pharmacists in Australia, which verifies your prerequisite pharmacy knowledge.

Working Out Your Points (Skilled Visas)

You must know your point total to apply for a skilled visa.

Application eligibility requires a minimum score of 65 points.

You may need to earn more points to receive an invitation, depending on your work line, the competition level, and the states you are applying to.

After The Kaps Exam, Options For Overseas Pharmacists

You will have a variety of options as soon as you are registered as a pharmacist to practice in Australia, including subclasses 190 (Skilled Nominated Visa), 491 (Regional Sponsored Visa), 482 (Temporary Skilled Shortage Visa), and 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa) of the General Skilled Migration Visa.

For further information on which visa is ideal for you, you can speak with any licensed immigration agent.

Read Also: How to Apply for Australia ETA Visa from US Citizens

FAQS

Do pharmacists get PR Australia?

3 years after receiving the 494, pharmacists may apply for permanent residency.

Pharmacists who wish to live, work, and study in specified regional locations may apply for the 5-year Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491) State or Territory nominated – From AUD 4095.

Which Country Is Best for Pharmacist to Migrate?

What you value most in life will determine the finest place in the world to immigrate to as a pharmacist.

The US, Australia, or Switzerland may be the ideal countries for you if money is your main motivator.

For additional information, see our post on the top 10 nations where pharmacist salaries are greatest.

If you prefer a more laid-back lifestyle, Australia might be for you as it frequently rates among the top 5 places to live, which are:

  • Singapore
  • Australia
  • Switzerland
  • Canada
  • Norway

The counsel you require is more likely to be country-specific if you add this to the difficulty of applying for a VISA and the challenges of the numerous licensure exams.

The best approach to get detailed advice is to go to our home page, choose the nation you are currently in, and then choose the one you are considering moving to.

You will be able to view precise recommendations for migration, document approval, anticipated wages, and the relative difficulty of the exam in this manner.

Is Australia good for pharmacist?

In Australia, working in a pharmacy is rewarding.

Pharmacists can enjoy good pay, excellent benefits, and a demanding career that keeps them interested.

As the population ages and the need for healthcare increases, the profession has a lot of room for expansion.

Is there a pharmacist shortage in Australia?

Australia is experiencing a progressive scarcity of pharmacists, allowing foreign pharmacists to immigrate and work there.

One of the best ways for foreign pharmacists to get better work and advance their careers is through immigration.

Is Kaps exam difficult?

Working hard is not sufficient to succeed in the exam, given the high level of competition; you also need to study effectively.

What is a pharmacist called in Australia?

chemists

Pharmacists, commonly referred to as chemists in Australia, are medical professionals in charge of providing, administering, and manufacturing medications and advising on how to use them correctly in hospitals and community pharmacies.

Why are so many pharmacists quitting?

The major problem for the pharmacist was a need for more adequately educated workers.

“I had been short on staff for seven months.

It took a toll having to perform the duties of several individuals for such a long time,” she remarked.

She continued that people come and go because they lack sufficient training.

Who Is Eligible for Kaps Exam?

All international pharmacists who completed a pharmacy program that was accredited after January 1, 2006 and were involved in at least four years of full-time academic study, are qualified to take the KAPS exam.

One Stream

You cannot take the KAPS exam unless you have an eligibility letter, which must be provided.

Related: 10 Pharmacist assistant jobs in Canada (Hiring now)

Conclusion

Australia is a challenging but rewarding country to work as an international pharmacist.

To pass the test and pursue a profession as a pharmacist, you must be meticulous with your roadmap.

Pharmacy students who want to pursue their ambition of working as a pharmacist overseas might get assistance from Academically.ai.

Academically assists you in registration, interview procedures, and your KAPS exam preparation.

The tutors at Academically have been working in the location of your choice for many years, and they are familiar with the exam format and the best strategies for succeeding in it.

Our goal is to take you where you need to go.

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