Hiring NZ Pharmacists

I have found that a Pharmacy may be approached by a NZ Pharmacist looking to cross the ditch and work in a larger Pharmacy Industry with more opportunities. The good news is that they are usually motivated and driven!

There can be some confusion about the differences in Pharmacist practice between Australia and NZ, so I'm briefly covering the salient points.

AHPRA registration: The Pharmacy Board (AHPRA) will immediately register a NZ Pharmacist via Trans Tasman recognition (paperwork processing can take up to 4 weeks). Done from NZ, they'll be ready to start work upon arrival.

Supervised practice: Unofficially, it is recognised that a NZ Pharmacist will need a 2-4 week period of working with another Pharmacist (not officially "Supervised Practice" but similar in effect) to acclimatise.

Areas requiring initial support are: the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Claims process; 5CPA programs (CIs, MedsCheck, Diabetes MedScreen, PPIs, etc); identifying differences in Scheduled Medications (S4/S8, etc); and Project STOP, etc.

Let's not forget the Dispensing Software - the main program in NZ is Toniq but there's also LOTS whereas in Australia there's more variety with FRED/WiniFRED, LOTS, Minfos, Aquarius, Amfac, etc.

Fortunately these differences are not insurmountable and I've been involved in many success stories for both the employer and employee.

Be prepared to nurture and mentor!

David Shaw - Recruitment Consultant
David has been with Raven's for 15 years and looks after permanent recruitment for Melbourne and the greater Victorian region - call David on 1800 429 829 or email david@ravensrecruitment.com.au for your recruitment or career needs.