Wed 25 June 2025
AdPha welcomes NSW health investment calling for urgent action on hospital pharmacy workforce
Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has welcomed the Minns Government’s $12.4 billion investment in health infrastructure and commitment to improving public sector wages and conditions as part of the 2025–26 NSW Budget.
However, AdPha warns that without targeted funding for the hospital pharmacy workforce, key reforms to improve patient care—such as Partnered Pharmacist Medication Charting (PPMC)—risk stalling.
AdPha President Tom Simpson FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt) said that while it was encouraging to see measures to address retention and recruitment, the NSW government must ensure the hospital pharmacy workforce is meaningfully included to turn the tide on underinvestment and vacancy rates our members and their teams experience.
'Pharmacists are essential to improving patient safety and flow, particularly in emergency departments and critical care units.
'Despite NSW having more hospital beds than their southern and northern neighbours, NSW has fewer hospital pharmacists.
'Programs like PPMC are proven to be ten times safer for patients, reduce hospital stays by 10%, and free up valuable time for doctors and nurses.
'But we’ve seen the first iteration of these vital programs stall in NSW due to inadequate staffing.
'With the current PPMC in Emergency Departments up and running in a majority of NSW Local Health Districts off the back of AdPha’s advocacy to the NSW ramping inquiry, and showing promising results, we can’t let that happen again.'
Mr Simpson called on the NSW Government to ensure sustained and adequate staffing of Emergency Medicine Pharmacists, in line with AdPha’s Standard of Practice in Emergency Medicine for Pharmacy Services, to support a consistent and sustainable PPMC rollout.
While AdPha welcomed the $9.5 million commitment to establish an internal health locum agency to address workforce retention and coordination, Mr Simpson cautioned that long-term success depends on addressing deeper systemic issues.
'The hospital pharmacy workforce in NSW has been chronically underfunded for too long–especially in regional areas where shortages are acute.
'Investment in virtual care is a good step, but these services can't succeed without pharmacists behind them.'
AdPha continues to call for clear commitments to grow and future-proof the pharmacy workforce through investment in intern training, rural placement programs, relocation and living support for pharmacy students.
Mr Simpson says Pharmacy Resident and Registrar Training Programs improve workforce retention, support recruitment, and provide a critical foundation for clinical capability and career progression.
'Resident and Registrar pharmacist training must form a core part of any NSW workforce investment strategy.
'Despite strong interest from NSW hospital pharmacy departments, only 5% of all pharmacy residencies delivered nationally were based in NSW, even though the state holds 16% of Australia’s accredited training sites.
'This is a missed opportunity to leverage an evidence-based workforce initiative that directly supports hospital pharmacist development and retention.'
Mr Simpson says it's time hospital pharmacy also had a modernised award that is fit for purpose.
'We look forward to seeing NSW Health’s ongoing award negotiations with Health Services Union NSW deliver meaningful reforms for pharmacy professionals.
'We want to see an award that supports attraction, retention and career development—and ensures hospital pharmacy in NSW is a competitive and rewarding career pathway.'