Australia’s hospital and advanced pharmacy workforce is expanding — but not fast enough to keep pace with demand. Drawing on the new national report from Advanced Pharmacy Australia (The State of Pharmacy: Workforce Insights 2025), this update highlights where the gaps are, what’s improving, and how pharmacy services can think about the next 12–24 months.
Key Summary – at a glance
- Vacancies remain high: most hospitals report pharmacist FTE gaps; technician roles are also hard to fill.
- Weekend/after-hours coverage is thin: limited extended-hours weekday services; weekend clinical services vary sharply by location.
- Digital capability is uneven: ePrescribing at discharge and EMR–pharmacy integration are not yet universal.
- Specialisation is growing: more defined practice areas and informatics roles, but non-metro sites lag.
- Demand will intensify: hundreds of new beds coming online, with regional and remote areas under the most pressure.
Vacancies & Service Coverage: The Pressure Points
The report confirms a dual reality: the hospital pharmacy workforce has grown substantially since 2018, yet vacancy rates remain stubbornly high across pharmacists, technicians and (to a lesser extent) interns. Many services have had to limit or reduce activity in the past year because teams were not fully staffed.
Coverage beyond business hours is where patients feel the difference. Only a minority of hospitals currently provide extended-hours weekday clinical services, and weekend clinical coverage is inconsistent — strongest in metropolitan centres and significantly lower in regional and rural/remote sites. For patients presenting on weekends or after hours, this can translate to slower medicines reconciliation, delayed clinical pharmacy review and greater reliance on workarounds.
Geography matters. Vacancies are most acute outside the major capitals, with some jurisdictions reporting a large proportion of funded pharmacist positions unfilled in rural and remote facilities. A handful of states report using retention bonuses or regional allowances; others rely more on recruitment cycles, graduate pipelines and role redesign.
What this means for hospitals: plan rosters and service promises around real staffing, not ideal staffing. Prioritise high-risk clinical areas on weekends and establish clear escalation pathways.
Digital Readiness & Specialisation: Progress with Patches
Digital capability is growing but uneven. Less than half of hospitals can consistently generate ePrescriptions at discharge, and fewer still have tight integration between the electronic medical record (EMR) and pharmacy systems. That creates friction at the very point patients transition from inpatient to community care — a critical moment for medicines safety.
On the positive side, more hospitals are employing pharmacists dedicated to defined practice areas across dozens of specialties, from critical care and oncology to antimicrobial stewardship and geriatrics. New roles in pharmacy informatics and technology are also emerging, although regional and rural/remote adoption lags metro peers.
Compounding and high-risk services show a similar pattern. A large majority of non-metropolitan hospitals outsource chemotherapy compounding, reflecting the practical realities of scale, accreditation and workforce skills. Coordination and supplier management become essential competencies as a result.
What this means for teams: invest in discharge workflows (ePrescribing, handover packs) and build capability in informatics. Where outsourcing is used, formalise quality agreements and communication channels.
Demand Growth & Retention Levers: What’s Next
The pipeline of new hospital beds over the next two years is large. Almost every health service anticipates additional admitted activity, which will amplify existing workforce pressures unless retention and productivity improve in tandem. The workforce remains predominantly female and comparatively young; supportive conditions (such as enhanced parental leave and flexible rostering) correlate with more stable staffing in several jurisdictions.
Pharmacist prescribing is expanding across most states and territories, supported by a broader multi-disciplinary focus on scope of practice. As roles evolve, structured training, credentialling and recognition will matter more — both to retain early-career pharmacists and to ensure safe, consistent care in advanced practice areas.
The report’s headline recommendation is clear: Australia needs a coordinated National Pharmacy Workforce Plan with sustainability indicators to align workforce capacity with rising demand. Without that, weekend coverage, regional access and high-risk service lines will continue to feel the squeeze.
For candidates: skills in transitions of care, stewardship, geriatrics, oncology and informatics are in demand — particularly outside metro areas. For leaders, consider role redesign and early-career development pathways to improve retention.
Conclusion
Hospital pharmacy is growing — but unevenly. Persistent vacancies, patchy weekend coverage and variable digital capability are the main friction points, especially beyond the capitals. The upside is clear: services know where the gaps are, specialisation is broadening, and there is strong momentum for better digital handovers and expanded scope of practice. Coordinated planning and targeted retention will determine how quickly the gaps close.
Disclaimer: This blog is a general overview and should not be construed as professional legal, financial or medical advice.
FAQs
- Which roles are hardest to fill right now?
Pharmacist FTE gaps are common across hospitals, with technician shortages also reported. The pressure is most acute in regional and rural/remote services.
- Where are service gaps most visible to patients?
Weekend and after-hours clinical coverage, medicines reconciliation at discharge, and timely pharmacist review in high-risk areas (e.g., ED, oncology, ICU).
- What digital improvements would help most?
Consistent ePrescriptions at discharge, integration between EMR and pharmacy systems, and standardised handover packs for transitions of care.
- How is scope of practice changing for pharmacists?
Many jurisdictions are progressing pharmacist prescribing and advanced practice roles. Hospitals are expanding defined specialties and informatics positions.
- What’s the single biggest system-level fix?
A coordinated National Pharmacy Workforce Plan to align staffing, training and digital investment with rising bed numbers and patient demand.
