Graduates of an approved program of study are required to complete a period of supervised practice (internship) in accordance with the requirements set out in the Board’s Registration standard: Supervised practice arrangements to be eligible to apply for general registration. Before any supervised practice can take place, interns are required to:
An intern training program must also be successfully completed and the registration examination must be passed to be eligible to apply for general registration at the end of the required period of supervised practice. The resources on this page give an overview of how graduates can smooth the path from study to work. They outline the requirements and responsibilities of graduates seeking provisional registration to complete an internship.
This video is most relevant to pharmacy students who are nearing the completion of their approved program of study in Australia and will soon be applying for provisional registration as a pharmacist.
Please note: The video below suggests starting your application 4-6 weeks before your graduation, however online registration for graduate applications has opened early this year. If you’ve completed your course, or you’re set to complete your course within the next three months and you’ve got your supervised practice arrangements (internship) signed off – we recommend you start your application for provisional registration now.
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Final-year students of an approved pharmacy program of study in Australia can apply:
Applicants who graduated from New Zealand (not completed a Board-approved program of study) or another overseas country should submit an Application for provisional registration and supervised practice - APRO-60 (1.33 MB,PDF).
Information relating to the internship is provided in the Board's Intern pharmacist and preceptor guide, which is a combined document that replaced the previously published Intern Guide and Preceptor Guide. Further information is also available in FAQ for pharmacy interns and preceptors.
A component of the internship is the development of a site-based training plan to address the competencies required of a pharmacist. The sample community intern training plan and sample hospital intern training plan can be used as a guide in the preparation of the intern’s training plan.
Preparation of extemporaneous products also forms part of the internship. The Board has provided the following resources for preceptors and interns.
The statutory declaration and six product reports are to be submitted to the coordinator of the intern's intern training program.
The Board’s Registration standard: Supervised practice arrangements outlines that for graduates of an approved pharmacy program of study, the period of supervised practice must include satisfactory completion of an accredited intern training program. This also applies to overseas qualified pharmacists who are required to complete a full internship.
The Board has authorised the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) to accredit intern training programs in Australia. A list of the accredited programs is published on the APC website. In addition to applying to the Board for provisional registration and approval of supervised practice, an intern must select an accredited intern training program and lodge an enrolment application with the relevant provider of the program.
The registration examination for general registration comprises a written examination and an oral examination.
The Board requires interns to complete a minimum percentage of the 1824* supervised practice hours required for general registration to be eligible to undertake a written and an oral examination. In accumulating supervised practice hours to meet the examination entry criteria, interns may only count supervised practice hours completed:
*During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of supervised practice hours required for general registration has been reduced from 1,824 hours to 1,575 hours.
The written examination is conducted by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC).
Further information including eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found on the APC website.
The oral examination is held in each jurisdiction according to the Schedule of Oral Examinations. An Application for a pharmacy intern to be a candidate for an oral examination (practice) - APOE-60 must be lodged by the published closing date for that examination period.
Further information about the oral examination is detailed in the Pharmacy oral examination (practice) candidate guide. This guide below provides information relevant to candidates sitting the oral examination in 2020. A new updated guide for 2021 will be published shortly.
To be eligible to apply for general registration an intern with provisional registration must have:
More information about these requirements is in the Board’s registration standards.
General registration is easily applied for online.