On this page
- Updates
- Medication cost
- Consultation costs
- Consultation costs for travel health and other vaccination services
- New services
- Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot
- Resources for consultations
- Additional resources for pharmacists
- Training
- Payments
- Legislative authorisation
- System requirements
- Frequently asked questions
Updates
- The Victorian Government is expanding the role of community pharmacists under the Community Pharmacist Program.
- Participating pharmacies can provide the following services under a structured prescribing model:
- treatment of shingles
- treatment of flare-up of mild plaque psoriasis
- resupply of select oral contraceptive pills without a prescription for women
- treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women
- travel health and other vaccinations
- Medications supplied under the Community Pharmacist Program are not subsidised under the PBS. Patients will be required to pay the full cost of the medication. Please speak with your patient about the likely medicine costs before the consultation. See Medication cost section for more information.
- Pharmacies must not charge patients for consultations related to shingles, mild plaque psoriasis flare-ups, uncomplicated urinary tract infections, or oral contraceptive resupply services under the Community Pharmacist Program. Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the government for each eligible consultation for these services.
- Pharmacies may charge a consultation fee for travel health and other vaccination services, and the cost of any vaccines given as part of the consultation. Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the government for the administration of at least one approved vaccine as part of an eligible travel health and other vaccination consultation.
- More information and updates will be provided for participating pharmacies and pharmacists as it becomes available on this webpage and via email. Please ensure your contact details with the Department of Health are up to date.
- The government has completed an evaluation of the pilot’s first 12 months of operation and a summary report which can be found at Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot - A summary report
This page has information for pharmacists and will be updated as new information is released.
The Community Pharmacist Pilot has become an ongoing Community Pharmacist Program. The overall requirements and policy will be the same as they were the initial pilot phase. The most significant change is that patients now pay the full medication cost.
Medication cost
The medication provided under the Community Pharmacist Program is not subsidised. Patients receiving treatment from pharmacists will need to pay the full medication cost.
Please discuss likely medication costs with all patients prior to a consultation.
Additional resources have been developed to support your conversation with patients:
Please disregard any information relating to medication subsidy in the resources available on this webpage as this is no longer applicable. All resources are in the process of being reviewed and updated.
Consultation costs
Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from government per eligible consultation for shingles, mild plaque psoriasis flare-ups, uncomplicated urinary tract infections, or resupply of contraceptive pills.
Pharmacies must not charge patients for shingles, mild plaque psoriasis flare-up, uncomplicated urinary tract infection, or resupply of contraceptive pill consultations.
Consultation costs for travel health and other vaccination services
Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the government for the administration of at least one approved vaccine as part of an eligible travel health and other vaccination consultation.
Pharmacies may charge patients an additional consultation fee, as well as the cost of any vaccines given.
Please note, as per the Protocol for Vaccine Administration, all travel health consultations must be for overseas travel. Vaccines approved for non-travel purposes are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Poliomyelitis, and Typhoid.
New services
The Community Pharmacist Program is set to expand over the next two years to a total of 22 health conditions and wellbeing services.
Participating pharmacies will be notified as new services become available and will be given information about training requirements and how to add services.
Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot
Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot (pilot) ran from 27 October 2023 to 30 July 2025 to test an expanded role for community pharmacists.
An evaluation of the pilot’s first 12 months of operation can be found at Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot - A summary report.
Resources for consultations
For each consultation, pharmacists must use the following resources:
Consent information for patients
This form must be used to receive informed consent from each patient:
Management Protocols
Approved pharmacists must comply with the Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot management protocols for service delivery.
The management protocols to support the delivery of the pilot services are listed below:
Patient Handout for post-consultation
The following document is for pharmacists to provide patients after a consultation. It includes information about the program, the costs, and what to do after the consultation. It also provides patients with information about how to get more medical care and information for their specific condition.
Additional resources for pharmacists
- Community Pharmacist Pilot stakeholder pack and marketing guidelinesCommunity Pharmacist Pilot - social media assetsCommunity Pharmacist Pilot poster - psoriasisCommunity Pharmacist Pilot poster - all servicesCommunity Pharmacist Pilot poster - A4 editableCommunity Pharmacist Pilot poster - A4 - print versionCommunity pharmacist pilot poster - A3 editableCommunity pharmacist pilot poster - A3 - print version
Community Pharmacist Pilot - downloadable
Translated versions of the Community Pharmacist Pilot - all services poster are available on the Better Health
- Community Pharmacist Pilot - Pharmacist information packCommunity Pharmacist Pilot - Pharmacist Information Pack
Last updated: February 2024
Training
As part of the Secretary pharmacists are required to successfully complete one of the training modules listed in the table below for each clinical service before they can commence the service.
Please note that costs may apply.
Participating pharmacists are specifically required to complete the training course options listed below to meet the requirements of the Secretary's Approval. Similar training courses and certificates will not be accepted.
Training course options and links for the program’s clinical services are listed below.
| Service | Training course options | Training provider |
Treatment for Urinary tract infections | 5 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
Uncomplicated Cystitis Treatment Pharmacist 1.5 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy | |
| Resupply of Oral Contraceptive Pills | 3.5 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
Oral contraceptives: a comprehensive training course for 1.5 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy | |
| Vaccination services | 6 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
7.5 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy | |
Skin conditions: Herpes Zoster (Shingles) and Mild Plaque Psoriasis | Mild plaque psoriasis and Herpes Zoster 2.5 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
2 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy |
Payments
Participating pharmacies are paid $20 per eligible consultation. Eligible consultations are the following:
- completed consultations for shingles, mild-plaque psoriasis flare-up, urinary tract infection, or oral contraceptive resupply.
- Travel health and other vaccination service consultations which include the administration of at least one approved vaccine.
Amounts mentioned are exclusive of GST. The GST will be applied in the pharmacy payments.
Please note:
- Patients must not be charged a consultation fee to access shingles, mild-plaque psoriasis flare-up, urinary tract infection, or oral contraceptive resupply services.
- Pharmacies may charge an additional consultation fee, and the cost of any vaccines given as part of the travel health and other vaccination service.
Pharmacy payments
MedAdvisor is the department’s authorised payment provider for the Program pharmacy payments. Payments will be made to the pharmacy’s nominated bank account usually in the third week of each month, in arrears.
Please ensure MedAdvisor has your up-to-date nominated bank account details and ABN.
Legislative authorisation
Pharmacists participating in the program are authorised under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations , to administer, supply and sell specified Schedule 4 poisons without a prescription or other instruction or authorisation subject to some limitations and conditions.
Participating pharmacists must comply with the Secretary Approval: Community Pharmacist Statewide Program (Approval), issued under regulation 163A, which approves specific Schedule 4 poisons for administration, supply or sale during the pilot.
View the Victorian Government Gazette notice for the Approval . You can also download the Secretary approval:
The Approval specifies the conditions in which a pharmacist is authorised to administer, supply or sell the Schedule 4 poison, including:
- the training that must be completed before that activity occurs, and
- the protocol(s) that must be followed when supplying treatment for suspected urinary tract infections, resupplying the oral contraceptive pill, administering vaccines under the program, or supplying treatment for herpes zoster (shingles) or mild plaque psoriasis.
Provided all requirements are met, the administration, supply or sale of the specified Schedule 4 poisons can take place.
To supply treatment for suspected urinary tract infections, herpes zoster (shingles) or mild plaque psoriasis or resupply the oral contraceptive pill under the program, pharmacists must also comply with regulation 57A of the Regulations.
To administer vaccines under the program, pharmacists must also comply with regulation 99B of the Regulations.
System requirements
Participating pharmacies are required to have a MedAdvisor subscription to deliver services under the program.
| Program services | Required subscription tier |
|---|---|
Urinary Tract Infection Oral Contraception Skin conditions (herpes zoster (shingles) and mild plaque psoriasis) Travel Health + Immunisation | MedAdvisor Core |
Note: Pharmacies currently participating in the program that are on MedAdvisor Essentials will continue to have access to the Urinary Tract Infection, Oral Contraception and Skin Condition services if eligible.
More information is available in the pharmacist information or email MedAdvisor at info@medadvisor.com.au.
Frequently asked questions
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The program aims to provide more options for primary health care, delivered through community pharmacies, to improve timely access to common, low risk medications.
This might especially benefit women and those living in areas where it is hard to get a general practitioner (GP) appointment. It also aims to ease pressure on GPs so that they can focus on providing more complex care.
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Having a structured prescribing arrangement in place provides participating community pharmacists with a limited authorisation to dispense, administer, supply and sell certain Schedule 4 ‘prescription only’ medications without a prescription from a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner.
This must be done according to an established guideline, protocol or standing order. It is lower risk compared to ‘autonomous prescribing’ and requires less comprehensive training.
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People who seek treatment from a community pharmacist under the program but who do not meet the eligibility criteria will be referred to an appropriate health practitioner, such as their GP.
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Expressions of interest are currently open for pharmacies who want to participate - submit your EOI here.
The program is taking an opt-in approach whereby community pharmacies and registered pharmacists working within these pharmacies can choose to join the program. There is no cap on the number of pharmacies or pharmacists which can join the program.
Pharmacy owners, pharmacy premises and registered pharmacists must meet all eligibility requirements to be able to participate in the program.Pharmacy owners can add pharmacists to the program 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)
- Pharmacist Ahpra registration number (required)
- Full-time or part-time employment (required)
- Pharmacist email address (optional)
Each new pharmacist will be validated prior to being able to deliver services. The validation and administrative process may take up to two weeks for approval. The pharmacy owner will be emailed advising if the pharmacist has been approved to join the program.
Reviewed 01 July 2025