The Department of Health commenced a 12-month Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot in October 2023 to test an expanded role for community pharmacists. For more details on the pilot, visit Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot.
An Expression of Interest process remains open to eligible pharmacies.
EOI applications may take two weeks to process once all the correct information has been provided as part of the submission.
Who can apply
The applicant who completes the form must be a person who is the owner/director of the organisation (pharmacy) and is authorised to make the required declaration and sign the required agreement on behalf of the organisation.
Completion of the EOI cannot be delegated as the owner must make a declaration as part of the EOI process.
Prior to commencing the EOI application, applicants must read the eligibility information below, the resources for pharmacists page and the following documents:
Who is eligible
Any community pharmacy that meets the pilot requirements can participate on an opt-in basis. There is no cap to the number of pharmacies which can participate.
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Community pharmacy premises must meet the following criteria to be able to participate in the pilot:
- Be located in Victoria.
- Be registered with the Victorian Pharmacy Authority (VPA) with no conditions attached that would impact the safe use of medicines under the pilot.
- Have access to MedAdvisor pharmacy software to enable clinical record keeping as required by the pilot. More information is available in the information pack.
- Have access to My Health Record conformant dispensing software to enable appropriate ability to view and contribute to the patient’s My Health Record.
- Conformant dispensing software needs to be appropriately configured and utilised to ensure records are appropriately created and shared.
- Communicates with the patient’s general practitioner (GP) (where available and with patient consent) as required by the pilot.
- If providing UTI, OCP or skin condition services under the pilot, you must have a separate consulting room with a door that can be readily supervised to prevent unauthorised access and:
- is not used as dispensary, storeroom, dose administration aid filling room or staff room
- provides adequate privacy/confidentiality
- provides sufficient space for patient, carer/accompanying person and pharmacist, as well as any necessary equipment and documentation
- has seating for the patient and carer/accompanying person
- can accommodate people with disability
- has adequate lighting
- is maintained at a comfortable ambient temperature
- has a hand sanitation facility in the room or has ready access to a hand washing facility
- has access to disposable gloves
- meets other requirements as specified in the VPA .
- If providing vaccination services under the pilot, you must meet the requirements of section G2.4.11 Vaccination or injection facilities of the VPA Guidelines.
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All participating pharmacists must meet the following criteria:
- Be listed on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) register with general registration type and with no conditions or undertakings on their registration.
- Be employed, contracted, or otherwise engaged by a pharmacy that is participating in the pilot.
- Have successfully completed the required training to deliver the services proposed as specified in the Secretary Approval and Pharmacist information pack, prior to any service provision.
- Hold and agree to maintain appropriate insurance for the services proposed to be provided under the pilot.
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Pharmacy owners must meet the following criteria for their community pharmacy to be able to participate in the pilot:
- Hold a licence issued by the VPA with no conditions attached that would impact the safe use of medicines under the pilot.
- Consent to participate in, and abide by, the requirements of both the service provision and monitoring and evaluation components of the pilot for the services being delivered.
- Hold and agree to maintain appropriate insurance for the services proposed to be provided under the pilot.
How to apply
Pharmacy owners who want their pharmacy or pharmacies to participate in the pilot must complete an online EOI . Completing the form usually takes between 4-6 minutes.
You must read the Information Pack and Privacy Collection Notice before you register your EOI. Ensure all eligibility criteria are met and that the required IT systems access is in place before submitting the EOI.
What you will need
In your application, you may need to provide the following details to show you meet the requirements:
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- Pharmacy owner name, email, phone number
- Pharmacy owner AHPRA registration number
- VPA licence number.
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- Entity type
- ABN
- Registered company name
- Trading name
- Registered address and site address
- VPA premises number
- Registered email
- Registered phone number
- Company director name,
- Company contact person name, position and email (if different from above).
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- The services you wish to provide under the pilot
- Pharmacy name, address, phone number, email and website
- Premises registration number (found on Certificate of Registration of Pharmacy Premises). If you don't have access to this certificate, you can access a copy of your Self-Service Certificate at the Victorian pharmacy authority .
- Total number of AHPRA registered pharmacists employed and type of employment
- Type of pharmacy (e.g. banner group, independent pharmacy)
- Can provide services in languages other than English (e.g. spoken by pharmacists – verbal and/or written)
- Number of pharmacists on duty during standard business hours
- Details of person responsible for overseeing pilot services
- Health Provider Identifier for the Organisation (HPI-O).
- MedAdvisor ID for pharmacies with an existing MedAdvisor subscription. Visit to access your ID.
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- Pharmacist name
- Pharmacist AHPRA registration number
- Pharmacist email, full or part time employment status in the pharmacy.
Next steps
Following submission of the EOI there will be a validation process. Applicants will receive an email notification of the outcome.
Every pharmacy owner approved to participate in the pilot will receive a funding agreement with the Department of Health. Following receipt of the funding agreement, the pharmacy owner may indicate their intention to be bound by the agreement by providing any activity outlined in the pilot.
Pharmacy owners can add pharmacists to the pilot at any stage if they meet the EOI eligibility criteria and have successfully completed the relevant training.
For the department to add a pharmacist email the following details to AdminCommunityPharmacyPilot@health.vic.gov.au:
- Pharmacy EOI number
- Pharmacist full name (required)
- Ahpra registration number (required)
- Full-time or part-time employment (required)
- Pharmacist email address (optional)
For each new pharmacist, the validation and administrative process may take up to two weeks. The pharmacy owner will be emailed advising if the pharmacist has been approved to join the pilot.
For more information, contact AdminCommunityPharmacyPilot@health.vic.gov.au.
Reviewed 07 December 2023