Classification of students & interns in the Pharmacy Award

Employees are classified based on their qualifications and the skills they need to do their job.

Pharmacy students & interns

An employee doing training as part of an approved pharmacy course is classified as a pharmacy student. Wage rates for pharmacy students are based on their year of study.

Pharmacy students in the first year of a Master of Pharmacy course are treated as pharmacy students in the 3rd year of a course.

An employee doing clinical training after they’ve passed their accreditation exams is classified as a pharmacy intern.

Example

An employee studying a Master of Pharmacy could be classified as a:

  • pharmacy student if they’re doing training as part of an approved program of study
  • pharmacy intern if they’ve passed their accreditation exams and they’re doing approved clinical training
  • pharmacist if they’re registered as a pharmacist.

Approved programs of study are defined by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.

Information about registration as a pharmacist, accreditation and approved study is available from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website.

Other students

Students working in pharmacies who aren’t studying a pharmacy course aren’t classified as pharmacy students.

Example

Jean is studying information services at university. She has just started her first job operating a cash register at a pharmacy.

Jean is classified as a pharmacy assistant level 1.

Jean isn’t classified as a Pharmacy Student because she’s not studying pharmacy.

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