CDU's new course to address NT's critical shortage of pharmacists

Charles Darwin University (CDU) will address the critical shortage of pharmacists in the Northern Territory by reinstating pharmacy training.

CDU’s Bachelor of Pharmacy course was first established in the early 2000s and produced a steady stream of pharmacy graduates, many of whom stayed in the Territory to complete their internships and to work as registered pharmacists.

In 2019, the University ceased offering its four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy course due to low enrolments.

Now CDU aims to offer a two-year Master of Pharmacy course on a graduate entry basis for students who hold a degree in health sciences, subject to approval by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC). The course is slated to commence in 2023 with an initial, modest intake of 30 students.

Pharmacists have in-depth skills and knowledge in using medicine to ensure people achieve optimal health outcomes.

As part of the healthcare team, pharmacists also provide information and recommendations to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals regarding the selection of the best medicine, dosages and how to manage side effects.

The plan to reintroduce pharmacy training is part of CDU’s overarching strategy to increase high-quality programs for health professionals, as demonstrated by its recent announcement of an intention to establish a School of Medicine.

CDU’s pharmacy course will have an emphasis on First Nations health, as well as practising pharmacy in challenging environments including rural and remote communities.

CDU’s College of Health and Human Sciences Dean, Professor Dominic Upton, said the pharmacy course would equip students with essential professional skills.

“With the world’s ongoing battle with COVID-19, pharmacy has become an increasingly important field of study that can improve health outcomes for the whole community,” Professor Upton said.

“We are excited to offer the new Master of Pharmacy course which will have a positive impact on health services.”

CDU Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, Heather Volk, said the reintroduction of pharmacy training would give the Northern Territory’s pharmacist cohort a much-needed boost.

“We don’t have enough pharmacists here and getting the right people with the right skills is important to the health of the NT,” Ms Volk said.

Ms Volk said Australia-wide, there are 88 pharmacists per 100,000 people, but the NT has only 63 per 100,000.

“There’s clearly a shortage of pharmacists in the Territory that needs to be addressed,” she said.

Once they finish their training, pharmacy graduates complete a 12-month internship before they can register as a pharmacist.

“The employment prospects for pharmacists are 100 per cent and they’ll receive well above average pay because they’re in high demand,” she said.

CDU welcomes the new Indigenous pharmacy scholarship recently announced by National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), which is aimed at encouraging more Indigenous students to enter pharmacy. More information about this scholarship can be found here.