Immigration Pathway for Overseas Pharmacists to Australia

Australia's healthcare system profoundly depends on skilled migration to address workforce shortages, and pharmacists play an essential role in delivering required healthcare services. This shortage benefits overseas pharmacists, as Australia grants multiple visa options and registration pathways because of this shortage.

This blog gives you an understanding of the steps to becoming a registered pharmacist in Australia, visa options, job opportunities, and the difficulties international pharmacists may face during this journey.

Why Are Pharmacists in Demand in Australia?

The requirement for pharmacists in Australia persists due to various factors, such as the elderly community, the increase in healthcare services, and the shortage of pharmacists in regional and rural areas. The government of Australia actively promotes skilled pharmacists to migrate and deliver services to the country's healthcare sector. Pharmacists are also included in Australia's Skilled Occupation List (SOL), making them granting them eligibility for various skilled migration programs and permanent residency pathways.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Skills assessment with the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC)

• Overseas pharmacists must meet the registration standards set by the Australian Pharmacy Council.

• To check their eligibility for the journey ahead, the candidate must provide the required documents and have their skills assessed by the APC.

• Once you get a positive response from APC that you are eligible, you can proceed further and apply for the Australian pharmacist licensure exam, the OPRA exam.

2. Passing the OPRA Exam:

• Overseas pharmacists must pass the Overseas Pharmacists Readiness Assessment short OPRA exam, which replaced the Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KAPS) exam in March 2025.

• The exam tests the candidate's pharmaceutical knowledge and skills to ensure they are equivalent to or meet Australian Healthcare standards.

• Once the KAPS exam/OPRA exam is cleared, pharmacists can proceed with the next step, which is migrating to Australia and getting a provisional registration from Australia.

1. Visa Options for Pharmacists Immigrating to Australia

There are various visa options to choose from basis their individual requirements available for pharmacists, including:

• Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage Visa): This short-term work visa enables employers to sponsor international workers when no local candidates are available.

• Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional Visa): This is the pathway to permanent residency for skilled professionals who are prepared to migrate and take up a job in regional or rural Australia for at least three years.

• Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated Visa): This is a state-sponsored permanent residency(PR) visa for skilled workers. Pharmacists nominated by the Australian state or territory government can apply for this visa.

• Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent Visa): This score-based permanent visa does not need employer or state sponsorship. Candidates who apply for this visa must get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) via SkillSelect.

• Employer-Sponsored Visas: Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186 visa allows pharmacists to be sponsored by employers through this visa option and can lead to permanent residency.

1. Supervised Practice and Final Registration

• After clearing the OPRA exams, clearing the English language proficiency tests like PTE Academic, IELTS, etc., and migrating to Australia, pharmacists must find an internship under a supervised registered pharmacist or a preceptor who guides them through their internship.

• This internship is for 1575 hours of supervised practice under a registered Australian pharmacist.

• After completing at least 75% of the intern hours, the pharmacist will be eligible to take the final Intern Written and Oral Exams.

• Upon successfully clearing both these exams, candidates can apply for general registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA).

Job Opportunities & Employment Process

Pharmacists in Australia can work in various sectors, including:

• Community pharmacies (retail pharmacy chains, independent pharmacies).

• Hospital pharmacies (public and private hospitals).

• Academia

• Research and development

• Industrial Pharmacists

• Aged care facilities (providing medication management for elderly patients).

• Government healthcare organizations, and so on.

Job seekers can explore opportunities through:

Finding a job can be challenging, but various portals could help you through this journey:

• Online job portals (Seek, Indeed, Australian Government Jobs, and other relevant portals).

• Pharmacy recruitment agencies (Raven's Recruitment).

• Networking and professional associations (The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, etc.)

Pathway to Permanent Residency

The professionals who are on Australia's Skilled Occupation List (SOL) are eligible for permanent residency (PR), and Pharmacists are listed on this, making it easy for the PR pathway:

• Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated Visa): A state-sponsored permanent residency option.

• Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent Visa): A points-tested visa for highly skilled professionals.

• Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional Visa): Provides a pathway to permanent residency after three years in a regional area.

• Pharmacists employed in regional areas are more likely to receive state sponsorship, which increases their eligibility for permanent residency.

• Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme Visa) is another option that could be considered, provided an employer sponsors you.

Common Challenges Faced by Overseas Pharmacists

Every step of the journey has its own difficulties with it:

• Skills assessment: The first step could be difficult for many people: understanding which documents to give according to the APC norms.

• Clearing the OPRA exam: Considering the vast portion of this exam, it isn't easy to self-study and requires proper mentoring from experienced trainers.

• Meeting English language proficiency requirements: Many overseas pharmacists find it difficult to meet the required English language scores in tests like PTE, IELTS, or OET, which are important for migration.

• Understanding Australian pharmacy regulations: Adjusting and understanding Australian healthcare laws and ethics is challenging yet mandated. The faster you adjust to this new change, the better.

• Navigating the APC exam process: As mentioned earlier, there are three main exams to be cleared in this journey, and preparation for the OPRA exam, as well as the written and oral exams, can be challenging.

• Adjusting to the Australian healthcare system: Pharmacists must learn about Medicare, PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), and clinical pharmacy practices.

How Elite Expertise Can Help

Elite Expertise offers intensive training and guidance to assist pharmacists abroad in this journey to Australia. Their services include:

• OPRA (previously KAPS) exam preparatory course with high success rates.

• Guidance is required for the skills assessment.

• English proficiency test preparation (PTE Academic).

• Mentorship programs to help pharmacists transition smoothly into Australian practice through the intern written and oral exams.

Conclusion

There are various steps involved in becoming a registered pharmacist in Australia as an overseas pharmacist, including clearing the OPRA exams, obtaining the right visa, completing supervised practice hours of internship, and finally getting registered as a pharmacist.

Considering the shortage of pharmacists, the Australian government provides immigration pathways to secure employment and permanent residency. Elite Expertise delivers tailored services to help international pharmacists successfully walk you through this process and attain their career goals in Australia. International pharmacists can easily take steps towards a successful career in Australia by better knowing the visa options, registration process, and job opportunities.

Rohit Prasanna, CEO of a premier marketer media firm, boasts 15+ years of mastery of digital marketing and content creation. Eager to disseminate insights through captivating content.