ADVANCED Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has welcomed South Australia's landmark four-year enterprise agreement for allied health professionals as a "long-overdue step in recognising the critical role pharmacists play in providing safe and quality pharmacy care".
The agreement is the first of its kind for SA, which until now was the only state where allied health professionals did not have a dedicated agreement.
Benefitting more than 8,000 workers, including hospital pharmacists, the agreement delivers a 13.5% wage increase over the four years, improved parental leave and new professional development allowances.
AdPha President Tom Simpson said the agreement was a strong foundation and welcomed the inclusion of professional development and specialisation.
"This is a long-overdue movement for pharmacists in South Australia - professionals who are central to safer, smarter, and more effective healthcare," Simpson said.
"It's promising to see recognition of career development and specialisation embedded in the agreement but disappointing it does not flow into all allied health areas including pharmacy roles."
Simpson urged South Australia's pharmacy workforce to take full advantage of Australia and New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy (ANZCAP) national recognition pathways to enhance their career progression.
He also warned that the agreement omits minimum pharmacist-to-patient ratios, a key element of safe and sustainable care.
"While this new agreement reflects the expertise and value pharmacists bring to the health system, more must be done to ensure safe staffing levels, workforce sustainability, and retention," he said.
"If we're serious about embedding innovations like Partnered Pharmacist Medication Prescribing and delivering high-quality care, then pharmacist-to-patient ratios drawn from the Advanced Pharmacy Australian Clinical Pharmacy Standards, must be built into the agreement - as they are in Victoria."
The agreement has been endorsed by employees and is now going to South Australian Employment Tribunal for approval.
"This agreement recognises the professionals we have - but we need to plan for the workforce we need to deliver for South Australians into the future," Simpson concluded. KB
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