Graduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing
This course is designed to provide pharmacists with a range of knowledge and skills to support safe, ethical and effective prescribing within a pharmacist’s scope of practice.
Graduates will have advanced skills in patient consultation, clinical decision‑making, health coaching, medication management and interprofessional collaboration, contributing to the quality use of medicines and demonstrating high‑level clinical judgment and accountability in prescribing decisions with professional autonomy across a variety of practice settings.
This course is intended to provide participants with the following vocational outcomes:
- prescribing medicines safely, legally and ethically within their scope of practice
- conducting comprehensive patient consultations to inform safe and appropriate prescribing decisions
- applying evidence-based guidelines to clinical decision-making
- developing and implementing tailored patient-centered management plans to support the quality of medicines
- collaborating with other healthcare professionals to support integrated and coordinated health care.
Program details
Entry requirements
Learners must:
- be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia under the requirements of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
- hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy, or an equivalent or higher pharmacy qualification recognised in Australia.
- be employed in a pharmacy industry context (Community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy or hospital pharmacy) and have access to a pharmacy practice setting
- complete a PSA Pre -Training Review
- have or obtain a USI and provide this to the PSA as part of the enrolment process
Note: Learners on student visa (visa subclass 500) are not eligible to enrol.
Pathways to enrolment
11404NAT Graduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing includes units of competency from 11255NAT Graduate Certificate in Applied Pharmacy Practice (NAT11243005 Apply advanced consultation skills for collaborative decision making and NAT11243006Manage the quality use of medicines). Candidates who have completed these units as part of 11255NAT Graduate Certificate in Applied Pharmacy Practice may be eligible for a credit transfer.
Duration / time commitment
- Full time: 0.5 years
- Part time: 1 year
The program is self-paced, giving you the flexibility to fit your studies around your work and personal life.
*Please note: NAT11404001 Apply clinical knowledge and skills for safe prescribing requires face to face attendance at 3 clinical skills workshop days, 1 clinical skills assessment day and 1 OSCE day.
Course structure
The Graduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing requires the successful completion of five (5) core units of competency.
Unit code |
Unit title |
Pre-requisite |
Nominal hours |
| NAT11243005 | Apply advanced consultation skills for collaborative decision making | Nil | 60 |
| NAT11243006 | Manage the quality use of medicines | Nil | 60 |
| NAT11243009 | Deliver primary health care | Nil | 60 |
| NAT11243011 | Prescribe medicines | Nil | 60 |
| NAT11404001 | Apply clinical knowledge and skills for safe prescribing | Nil | 195 |
NAT11243011 Prescribe medicines is APC accredited
Fees
- Professional Plus members: $11,495
- Advantage and Essential members: $12,495
- Non-members: $12,495
- Further fee information
- PSA Fees, Charges and Refund Policy (Note: Payment by instalments is not available for this program)
Delivery and assessment
This qualification is delivered through self-paced blended online delivery, comprising of combinations of self-paced online learning and assessment tasks, pracitcal clinical skills and application of skills in the workplace.
• objective structure clinical examinations
• direct observation
• multiple choice questions
• case studies
• short answer written and oral questions
• workplace projects
• peer reviews
• reflective practice portfolio
• de-identified patient consultation records
Upcoming workshop and assessment dates
NAT11404001 Apply clinical knowledge and skills for safe prescribing
Clinical skills workshop
- TAS – Hobart Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- Launceston Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- WA – Perth Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- SA – Adelaide Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
*Other states will be scheduled as per learner demand
Clinical skills assessment
- TAS – Hobart Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- Launceston Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- WA – Perth Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- SA – Adelaide Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
*Other states will be scheduled as per learner demand
OSCE
NAT11243011 Prescribe medicines
- Online August 2026 (Dates TBD)
NAT11404001 Apply clinical knowledge and skills for safe prescribing
- TAS – Hobart Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- Launceston Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- WA – Perth Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
- SA – Adelaide Late 2026 (Dates TBD)
*Other states will be scheduled as per learner demand
Prescribing Mentor requirements
NAT11243011 Prescribe medicines requires learners to engage with a prescriber mentor. Learners are required to complete a self-assessment against the NPS Prescribing Competency Framework and develop a learning plan with a prescriber mentor. Learners must complete a minimum of six case studies demonstrating prescribing practice, reviewed and reflected on with the mentor before submission to PSA. The prescriber mentor must be able to guide your development and plan activities and support clinical case discussions.
The prescriber mentor must meet the following requirements:
- Ahpra registration who can prescribe medicines independently
- Minimum of 12 months independent prescribing experience
- Currently practice in a primary care setting, aligning with your scope of practice
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) / Credit Transfer
11404NAT Graduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing includes units of competency from 11255NAT Graduate Certificate in Applied Pharmacy Practice (NAT11243005 and NAT11243006). Candidates who have completed these units as part of 11255NAT Graduate Certificate in Applied Pharmacy Practice may be eligible for a credit transfer.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is an opportunity for learners to demonstrate knowledge and competencies already as a result of past experience or training.
FAQs
Can I enrol into this qualification if I’m an intern pharmacist?
Yes, Intern pharmacists may be eligible to enrol however, they would need to consider their study workload. Learners must be registered as a pharmacist with the Pharmacy Board of Australia under the requirements of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
What is the in-person commitment?
Learners must attend the following requirements in person:
- 3 day clinical skills workshop
- 1 day clinical skills assessment
- 1 day OSCE.
All face-to-face requirements are delivered at a progressed roll out (not consecutive).
PSA intends to deliver the face-to-face clinical skills workshops and assessments in each capital city at least yearly, with additional workshops and assessments held subject to demand.
