Community Pharmacist Program – Resources for pharmacists

Medication cost

The medication provided under the Community Pharmacist Program (the Program) is not subsidised under the PBS. 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.

Consultation costs

Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the Victorian Government per eligible consultation for health conditions and wellbeing services.

Pharmacies must not charge patients for these services.

Travel health and other vaccination services

Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the Victorian 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 service fee for administration, 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.

Pharmacy payments

Payments mentioned above are exclusive of GST. The GST will be applied in the pharmacy payments.

MedAdvisor is the department’s authorised payment provider for the Program's 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.

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:

Note: As the medicines subsidy no longer applies, resources are being updated to reflect this change.

Management Protocols

Approved pharmacists must comply with the Program's clinical management protocols for service delivery. Protocols are available below:

Patient handouts

Patient handouts have been developed for each condition.

These handouts must be given to each patient as part of the consultation process.

The patient handouts are listed available below:

Training

As part of the Secretary Approval pharmacists are required to successfully complete specified training before they can commence the service. This includes:

• modules listed in the table below
  OR
• completion of a postgraduate Pharmacist Prescriber program accredited with the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC).

Please note that costs may apply.

Postgraduate training

Pharmacists who complete postgraduate prescriber programs accredited with the APC are eligible to practice in the Program. A list of the courses accredited with the APC can be found at the Australian Pharmacy Council webpage.

Pharmacy owners will continue to be responsible for ensuring pharmacists are appropriately trained, including that their pharmacist’s postgraduate qualifications cover services the pharmacy is providing.

Short form module training

Training course options and links, for pharmacists who have not completed a postgraduate Pharmacist Prescriber program, are listed in the table below:

Legislative authorisation

Pharmacists participating in the Program are authorised under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017, 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 Program (Approval), issued under regulation 163A, which approves specific Schedule 4 poisons for administration, supply or sale under the Program.

View the Victorian Government Gazette notice for the Approval (PDF) (pg.202).

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 hormonal contraception, administering vaccines under the Program, or supplying treatment for herpes zoster (shingles), impetigo, mild plaque psoriasis or acute, mild musculoskeletal pain.

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, impetigo, herpes zoster (shingles), acute, mild musculoskeletal pain, resupply of treatment for mild plaque psoriasis or resupply hormonal contraception 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

Pharmacies participating in the Program are required to hold a MedAdvisor CORE subscription to deliver services.

Note: Pharmacies already participating in the Program on MedAdvisor Essentials may continue to access their existing approved services.

More information is available in the pharmacist information pack, or by emailing MedAdvisor at info@medadvisor.com.au.

Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot

The 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.