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You can expect that a practising pharmacist will be qualified, registered and competent in their area of practice. This means that he/she:-

• Holds a qualification which has been approved by the Pharmacy Council
• Has met the standards set by the Pharmacy Council
• Is registered with the Pharmacy Council in one of two scopes of practice
• Holds an Annual Practising Certificate

Approved Qualifications 

The current qualification in New Zealand is a four year BPharm degree which can be obtained at either Auckland or Otago University. Pharmacists who qualified in New Zealand prior to the BPharm degree being introduced, and who are practising, are deemed to have an equivalent qualification. Pharmacists who have obtained their qualifications at an approved school in Australia are also considered to have equivalent qualifications to those who hold a BPharm obtained in New Zealand.

Pharmacists who have qualified in the United Kingdom, Ireland, USA and Canada are required to pass an examination before being considered for registration.  Pharmacists with qualifications obtained in all other countries are required to meet established criteria and also sit an examination before being considered for registration. 

New Zealand qualified pharmacists and those from countries other than Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, USA and Canada are required to undergo a period of practical training through an intern training programme.  Pharmacists from Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, USA and Canada who are accepted for regisration are required to complete an initial period of supervised practice.

What is the InternTraining Programme?

After gaining a BPharm if the graduate wishes to practise as a pharmacist they must complete the Preregistration Training Programme of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand. This is a competence based training programme which is undertaken whilst the graduate (intern) is working in a pharmacy under the guidance of a preceptor pharmacist. The objectives of the programme are for interns to develop judgement and management skills, which will enable them to apply the academic knowledge they have gained during their degree. Interns learn the skills that relate to the dispensing of medicines and gain skills in communicating with doctors, other healthcare providers and patients. Qualified pharmacists from countries other than Australia and the United Kingdom are also required to undertake a period of preregistration training before they can apply for registration.

For more information about pharmacist training see careers.

Scopes of practice

When a pharmacist is first registered with the Pharmacy Council, they will be registered in a ‘scope'. The two scopes of practice are either a 'pharmacist', or an 'intern pharmacist'. The scopes describe the health services that can be delivered by the pharmacist or intern pharmacist.

Register

The Register of Pharmacists is a public document. You can check if a pharmacist holds a current Annual Practising Certificate by searching this register.

Annual Practising Certificate

To maintain an Annual Practising Certificate, all practising pharmacists must remain up-to-date by participating in a recertification programme. This shows they are undertaking learning that is relevant to their area of practice.

A pharmacist who is qualified but not practising may be listed on the Register of Pharmacists but must not engage in the practice of pharmacy unless they transfer to the practising register and hold an Annual Practising Certificate.