Early career pharmacists
Hospital pharmacy – your pathway to possibilities
Pharmacists play a key role in providing evidence-based health care and promoting health awareness. Hospital pharmacy allows you to make the strongest impact on patient care through expanding and emerging clinical roles, while leading practice change.
Hospital Pharmacists are increasingly embedded in supportive clinical teams, enabling you to collaborate with other health professionals in general medicine or across specialties such as surgery, oncology or clinical trials.
Find out how SHPA can help you with pathway to possibilities with our SHPA student brochure.
Start your hospital pharmacy career
SHPA defines an 'early career pharmacist' as someone who has 10 or less years' experience as a practising pharmacist.
You can become a hospital pharmacist at any time, without the need to a complete a hospital internship or additional qualifications. Hospital pharmacy is competitive, but early experience in the hospital environment can give you an edge.
- start your journey by completing an approved Bachelor or Master of Pharmacy degree with an Australia and New Zealand pharmacy school
- undertake a hospital pharmacy student placement
- apply for Provisional Registration once you complete your studies
- complete an SHPA-facilitated internship or Pharmacy Technician Training and Courses
- work alongside pharmacists dispensing medicines in hospitals as a Pharmacy Technician Training and Courses
- pass a Pharmacy Board of Australia and Australian Pharmacy Council exam and transition to General Registration.
Be supported and stand out from the crowd
Being an SHPA member during your foundation years gives you the strongest base for your start in hospital pharmacy, providing you with the support, resources and programs you need to drive your career every step of the way:
- Find your next career opportunity with SHPA’s Jobs Board, designed to make looking for your new position easy
- Take your career to the next level with a two-year SHPA Resident Training Program, then challenge yourself with a Registrar Training Program
- Network with industry leaders and expand your knowledge across 30 pharmacy disciplines by joining Specialty Practice
- Upskill with high-quality clinical professional development and education, available online and at regular events, webinars and seminars
- Free, exclusive access to SHPA's CPD Planning + Recording tool
- Access to SHPA's EMIT (Electronic Medicines Information Training) core content and discounted access to CPD across 22 modules. EMIT provides up-to-date, curated education on seeking information you can trust, clinically relevant to Australia
- Enjoy free online access to SHPA’s flagship Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (JPPR) and member publication Pharmacy GRIT
- Expand your knowledge with free access to EBSCOhost and DynaMes and eBooks
Visit the Pharmacy Board of Australia for information about becoming a registered pharmacist in Australia or to apply for Provisional or General Registration.