Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice: Information for pharmacists

Authorised community pharmacists who have completed a SA Health-approved postgraduate qualification can assess, manage, and treat a broader range of common acute conditions and health and wellbeing issues for eligible people, including:

  • Acute exacerbations of mild plaque psoriasis
  • Acute minor wound management
  • Acute nausea and vomiting associated with gastroenteritis
  • Acute otitis externa
  • Acute otitis media
  • Allergic and nonallergic rhinitis
  • Gastro-oesophageal reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
  • Herpes zoster (shingles)
  • Hormonal contraception (initiation)
  • Impetigo
  • Management for overweight and obesity
  • Mild acute musculoskeletal pain
  • Mild to moderate acne
  • Mild to moderate atopic dermatitis
  • Oral health risk assessment and fluoride application
  • Smoking cessation
  • Travel health

Applying to become an authorised pharmacist

Only pharmacists included on the SA Health Register of Authorised Pharmacists are permitted to provide Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice services in South Australia, including the prescribing of certain Schedule 4 medicines. Community pharmacists must meet the requirements outlined in Regulation 17A of the Controlled Substances (Poisons) Regulations 2011 and Community Pharmacist Prescribing Code (PDF 709KB).

To apply for authorisation to provide Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice services in South Australia, including the prescribing of certain Schedule 4 medicines, pharmacists must submit an application form.

Once authorised, pharmacists are issued a prescriber number. Their name, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration number, and prescriber number are then included on the public SA Health Register of Authorised Pharmacists.

Training requirements

To provide Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice services in South Australia, pharmacists are required to have successfully completed an SA Health-approved postgraduate qualification.

Approved training courses

The following postgraduate training courses have been approved by SA Health:

Other postgraduate training courses are being reviewed and will be added to this page upon approval by SA Health.

Education providers

Education providers interested in submitting a course for consideration should contact Health.CommunityPharmacyInitiatives@sa.gov.au.

To be eligible, courses must be:

South Australian Government community pharmacist training subsidy

The South Australian Government is offering a training subsidy to support community pharmacists to complete the required training to provide Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice services in South Australia. The subsidy offsets enrolment fees for a SA Health-approved training course and is available for up to 120 pharmacists over three years.

The subsidy amount is based on your primary practice location, with higher subsidies available to community pharmacists working in rural and remote areas.

South Australian Government community pharmacist training subsidy
Pharmacist practice location Available subsidy
Modified Monash category 1 to 3 $7,000
Modified Monash category 4 to 7 $8,500

You can check the Modified Monash category of your practice location.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for the South Australian Government training subsidy, pharmacists must demonstrate that they:

  • hold unconditional general registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia
  • are currently employed by a community pharmacy in South Australia, with a minimum of six months’ employment
  • currently reside in South Australia
  • have a demonstrated commitment from their employer to enable service provision
  • have not previously completed the course(s).

Applying for the South Australian Government community pharmacist training subsidy

Round 1 of the expression of interest process for subsidised training has now closed. Applicants will be notified of the outcome via the email address provided at the time of application. Further opportunities will be announced as they become available.

Hardship

Pharmacy owners in rural and regional areas (Modified Monash Model categories 4-7) may be eligible for an additional subsidy from the South Australian Government. Eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

This subsidy is intended to support the ongoing provision of pharmacy services in rural and regional communities by assisting with costs such as engaging a locum pharmacist. It aims to ensure that pharmacies can continue operating while pharmacists attend mandatory face-to-face training sessions.

Requests for the South Australian Government hardship subsidy should outline the impact of supporting pharmacists to attend training sessions and should be submitted via email to the Health.CommunityPharmacyInitiatives@sa.gov.au.

Service availability

Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice has been legally enabled in South Australia. Services will gradually become available as pharmacists complete the required postgraduate qualification and obtain authorisation.

Further information

If you have any questions about Community Pharmacy Expanded Scope of Practice services in South Australia, please contact the Office of the Chief Pharmacist at Health.CommunityPharmacyInitiatives@sa.gov.au.