Fri 17 April 2026
Pharmacist prescribing in team-based care settings
Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has today released a position paper on pharmacist prescribing across team-based care settings, calling for access to PBS-subsidised medicines to be prioritised in future reforms.
Informed by a national workshop with pharmacy leaders, the paper outlines a fit-for-purpose endorsement pathway for pharmacist prescribers across all settings - aimed at preventing workforce fragmentation, improving mobility, and expanding patient access to care.
With the Pharmacy Board of Australia preparing to consult on a national endorsement model, AdPha has identified four key requirements to ensure endorsed pharmacist prescribers are embedded and enabled to practise to full-scope within team-based care settings:
- A fit-for-purpose endorsement for scheduled medicines for pharmacists that supports prescribing across all care settings.
- A nationally recognised endorsement recorded against registration, enabling pharmacists to prescribe within their scope in team-based environments.
- A national framework to validate capability and support practice across an evolving, defined scope.
- Ability for endorsed pharmacists to prescribe all medicines within their defined scope, including PBS-subsidised medicines, to ensure equitable patient access.
Assoc. Prof. Tom Simpson FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt) said the conversation must move beyond a community-only lens.
‘Pharmacist prescribing isn’t new - it’s already delivering real benefits in hospitals. Now it’s time to scale that service across the system.
‘Expanding prescribing into all team-based settings would unlock significant gains for patients, health professionals and the health system.
‘We’re talking about aged care, general practice, outpatient clinics, AOD services and ACCHOs - settings where patients are often most vulnerable and care is most complex. Pharmacists are ready to assist.
‘Pharmacists are already working at an advanced level across highly specialised areas. They are managing complexity across geriatrics, oncology, paediatrics, mental health and more - prescribing needs to reflect that reality.’
Assoc. Prof. Simpson emphasised the need for national coordination to move beyond pilot programs.
‘The benefits are clear. What’s missing is consistency. We need a nationally coordinated approach to embed pharmacist prescribing as standard practice - not a patchwork of pilots.
‘Critically, without the ability to prescribe PBS-subsidised medicines, pharmacist prescribing will never reach its full potential. Equity for patients must be front and centre.’