Pharmacy Council

The Pharmacy Council is established under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.  Our primary role is to protect the public and promote good pharmacist practice. The Pharmacy Council is established under the Health Practitioners competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA) and has a duty to protect the public and promote good pharmacist practice.  

The functions of the Pharmacy Council are to:

• determine the scopes of practice for pharmacists.
• prescribe the qualifications required for scopes of practice within the profession, and, for that purpose, to accredit and monitor educational institutions and degrees, courses of studies, or programmes.
• authorise the registration of health practitioners under this Act, and to maintain registers.
• consider applications for annual practising certificates.
• review and promote the competence of health practitioners.
• recognise, accredit, and set programmes to ensure the ongoing competence of health practitioners.
• consider the cases of health practitioners who may be unable to perform the functions required for the practice of the profession.

Non REQR (Recognised Equivalent Qualifications Route) Applications

NOTE: Applicants should be aware, before starting the registration process, that employment opportunities for pharmacists in New Zealand are currently very limited, particularly in the main centres. You may experience some difficulty in finding a pharmacy in which to do your internship.

This route is for pharmacists applying for registration in New Zealand who qualified, and are currently registered in, countries other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and United States of America.

• promote education and training in the profession.
• promote public awareness of the responsibilities of the authority.
• to exercise and perform any other functions, powers, and duties that are conferred or imposed on it by or under this Act or any other enactment.

English Language Policy for New Zealand and Australian Graduates

All New Zealand BPharm graduates and Australian pharmacy graduates applying for registration in the Intern Scope of Practice must be able to communicate effectively in English for the purpose of practising as a pharmacist.

All graduates will be required to sign a statement agreeing that if a preceptor, other healthcare professional or member of the public finds they are not communicating in English to an acceptable standard, the intern pharmacist willl accept the decision of the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand as to whether they remain eligible to practise as a pharmacist in New Zealand. This statement will be signed by students when they complete the application form for registration in the Intern Scope of Practice (application forms are available from the Schools of Pharmacy in New Zealand from August in the year prior to internship).

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