What the Australian Pharmacy Council and the Pharmacy Board say about securing supervised practice, and what an exam pass does and doesn’t give you.
You must secure your own internship or supervised practice. The APC describes the job market as very competitive, says availability varies by region, and says a Skills Assessment does not guarantee registration, supervised practice or a job.
The APC says some pharmacists take 6-18 months, and some may have to wait years to secure a visa and a job. It also says completing the process does not guarantee a job or a successful migration.
The Board’s current requirement is a minimum of 1,575 hours of Board-approved supervised practice. It reduced the figure from 1,824 hours on 30 April 2020 and has kept 1,575 until a revised registration standard is approved by Ministers and implemented. The 2015 standard, and some Board documents, still print 1,824.
Before any supervised practice, your provisional registration and your supervised practice arrangements must both be approved by the Board and showing on the public register.
Our summary of its organising supervised practice page, which the APC describes as general guidance only.
Start with the Board’s registration standard on supervised practice and its FAQs for interns and preceptors, so you know what a preceptor and a site must be approved for.
The APC suggests professional advice on your CV and interview preparation, and on communication and patient counselling. Keep everything current and in English.
Familiarise yourself with Australian legislation and professional standards. The APC names optional courses from the Australasian College of Pharmacy and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and says they are not a registration requirement.
Join professional bodies early, meet pharmacists at industry and internship events, and visit local pharmacies with your resume. Be respectful and professional when you ask a pharmacist to be your preceptor.
State government job listings, pharmacy chains and banner groups, general job boards, intern training program providers and hospital intern listings. The APC lists specific sites on its page, and warns you to watch for scams, particularly on social media.
The APC’s order is to secure a practice site and an approved preceptor, then apply for registration and submit your supervised practice arrangements for approval, then enrol in an accredited intern training program. The Board’s form APRO-60 also lets you apply before you have a placement and lodge form AASP-60 once you do, but you can’t start until it is approved.
We don’t give migration advice, and we don’t name visa types or processing times: check with the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs. The APC says Home Affairs sets the validity period for a Skills Assessment Outcome used in a visa application. Registration and a visa are two separate applications, and success in one doesn’t guarantee success in the other.
The APC says you may need an employer who will sponsor you, that there are costs and requirements for the business owner, and that an APC skills assessment doesn’t guarantee a visa, sponsorship or a job.
We don’t quote salaries: we have no current, sourced figures for intern or overseas-trained pharmacist pay, so ask employers directly.
Sources: APC, organising supervised practice; APC, what to know before you start; Pharmacy Board, internships; Pharmacy Board, overseas practitioner registration. Checked 7 November 2026. GdayPharmacist is an independent preparation provider. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Australian Pharmacy Council, the Pharmacy Board of Australia or Ahpra.
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