Pharmacy Daily | Education is the cornerstone of expanding the services pharmacists can deliver in partnership with the broader healthcare team. 25 Feb 26

ACROSS Australia, we're seeing incredible progress - not just in policy, but in the practical steps that make change possible.

Our first prescribing pharmacists completed their Graduate Certificate of Advanced Practice and Prescribing at James Cook University (JCU).

Graduate Certificate programs are now available across most Australian states, reflecting a significant expansion in advanced practice education.

Leading universities offering these courses include the University of Adelaide, the University of Western Australia, the University of Newcastle, Monash University and the University of Technology Sydney.

JCU delivers the course in Qld and the NT, and collaborates with Curtin University and the University of Tasmania.

These support local initiatives to enable pharmacists to deliver more healthcare services, taking the pressure off GPs and ensuring patients have access to safe care.

There's also growing investment in these pathways, with training subsidies and support programs in Qld, NT, Tas, WA and SA.

This means pharmacists everywhere, not just in metropolitan areas, can access the education they need.

For patients in rural and remote communities, expanded services delivered by pharmacists mean timely care without long travel or wait times.

These changes aren't just about professional growth - they're about building a smarter, stronger health system for the future.

The opportunity is here, and the need is urgent - let's seize it.

There is a shared recognition that education unlocks opportunity, and by investing in training, governments and universities are helping pharmacists practise to their full scope, safely, collaboratively, and with confidence.

Expanded scope means better access, better outcomes, and a stronger health system.

For years, we've advocated for pharmacists to use their skills to the fullest, and now, the pathways are here.

If you've ever wanted to take your career to the next level and make an even bigger impact on patient care, now is the time.

I'd like to thank these universities for having the foresight and confidence to invest in delivering these courses.

By doing so they are investing in the future of pharmacy and in the health of Australia.

These competencies need to be embedded into the base registerable degree - it's the only viable option to deliver thousands of scope-ready graduates.

Achieving this will transform community pharmacy and ensure we can all play our part to create healthier communities.

Professor Trent Twomey is the national president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

If you have questions, send them to scope@guild.org.au.