Code of Ethics review
July 2025 to June 2026
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), in partnership with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, is undertaking a review, update and further development of the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists (the ‘Code’). The Code is a fundamental resource that articulates the values of the pharmacy profession and expected standards of ethical behaviour of pharmacists towards individuals, the community and society. The Code underpins the professional practice of all pharmacists in Australia.
The core objectives are to:
- review, revise and further develop the Code to align with contemporary pharmacy practice and the expectations of the profession and the wider community
- deliver a revised Code with increased clarity on emerging ethical issues (e.g. broadening scope of practice, increased compounding, expansion of digital systems that provide clinical information to pharmacists)
- support pharmacists to implement the revised Code to enable pharmacists to continue to provide the highest quality of care in their daily practice.
This project commenced on 1st July 2025 and will conclude 30th June 2026. Key dates:
- July – October 2025 – Stakeholder Engagement & Consultation
- March – April 2026 – Public Consultation of the revised Code draft
- June 2026 – Launch of revised Code
- July 2026 – National Webinar
Stakeholder engagement and consultation
Have your say – join a PSA Workshop
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is inviting expressions of interest from registered pharmacists to join one of three Code of Ethics Workshops.
Each workshop will focus on one of the existing ethical values and their associated principles – Care, Integrity, or Competency – to ensure they remain relevant, practical, and aligned with contemporary pharmacy practice.
These once-only 1.5-hour virtual workshops are part of the stakeholder consultation for the review, revision, and further development of the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists. They will be facilitated by PSA and subject matter experts, offering a collaborative environment to share insights, discuss challenges, and shape the future of pharmacy ethics in Australia.
→ Workshop Dates:
- Care: Tuesday 30 September 2025 – 12:30pm–2:00pm AEST
- Integrity: Wednesday 1 October 2025 – 1:00pm–2:30pm AEST
- Competency: Thursday 2 October 2025 – 11:30am–1:00pm AEST
→ Important:
- Workshops are capped at 10 participants each.
- We will score each application using a rubric weighted criteria and use the resulting total scores to rank applicants and determine the order in which workshop places are offered.
- While you may express interest in multiple working groups, please note that you may be selected to join only one.
To express your interest and nominate your preferred workshop, complete the EOI Form here. If selected to participate, pharmacists can claim unaccredited 1.5 Group 1 CPD credits.
This EOI closes Wednesday 17th September 2025 – don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to the review and refinement of the PSA Code of Ethics and help guide the profession into the future.
Profession Survey – Your Ethics, your voice
This survey invites pharmacists to share their views on current and emerging ethical issues in pharmacy practice. The feedback collected will help inform the review and revision of the current Code of Ethics to ensure it reflects the values, challenges, and responsibilities of contemporary pharmacy practice.
To complete the survey, please access it here. This survey will close 5pm Friday 10th October 2025.
Book in a semi structured consultation discussion with PSA (30 mins)
Consultations will run between 25th August 2025 and 3rd October 2025. To book a suitable time as an organisation or individual please email PSA Project Manager – Leah.Robinson@psa.org.au.
Have feedback or insights outside of these options?
You can either submit the form below or call 1300 369 772 and select “Code of Ethics review project”, leave a message and the PSA team will contact you.
From the President
At the heart of our profession is our shared commitment to Care, Competency, and Integrity. These ethical values define who we are as pharmacists, guiding our decisions, shaping our relationships with patients, and underpinning the trust our communities place in us.
It is these three values that are the foundation of the Pharmacists Code of Ethics.
The Code of Ethics, last updated in 2017, must continue to evolve alongside the changing world in which we practice. As pharmacy practice continues to grow and diversify, the ethical challenges we face also become more complex. New models of care, greater prescribing authority, advances in digital health, and the growing role of pharmacists in compounding all bring opportunities, but also new responsibilities.
In our role as the custodians of the profession’s ethics, standards, and guidelines, PSA has embarked on a major project to revise and further develop the Code of Ethics – the first project delivered as part of the Strategic Agreement on Pharmacist Professional Practice.
This is not work we are doing alone. We are guided by a Project Advisory Group (PAG) made up of truly remarkable pharmacists and consumer representatives from across our profession and health sector, including:
- Dr Ayomide (Mide) Ogundipe – PAG Chair; PSA Board Director
- Professor Lisa Nissen – HERA Program Director, Health Workforce Optimisation, The University of Queensland
- Associate Professor Sue Kirsa – Director of Pharmacy, Monash Health
- Associate Professor Betty Chaar – Chair, Professionalism Committee, The University of Sydney, Fellow of the International Federation of Pharmacy and Chair of the FIP Ethics Expert Group and a Pharmacist Peer Reviewer for the Healthcare Complaints Commission NSW Australia.
- Naomi Lim – Professional Officer, Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (PDL)
- Toby Speare – Board Member, Pharmacy Board of Australia
- Elsa Hietbrink – Director, Pharmacy Agreements & Governance, Dept of Health, Disability & Ageing
- Radhika Jadav – Pharmacist Policy Officer, Pharmacy Guild of Australia
- Associate Professor Bhavini Patel – Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) Leadership and Management Committee, Executive Director, Medicines Management, NT Health
- Sebastian Harper – National President, National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA)
- Mike Stephens – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
- Dr Andreia Bruno-Tomé – Director, Research, Policy and Partnerships, Australian Pharmacy Council (APC)
- Associate Professor Richard Matthews – Associate Professor of Medical Ethics, Bond University
- Bente Hart – Remote and Isolated Pharmacist Association Australia (RIPAA)
- Nathan Cruickshank – Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA)
- Nicky Bath – Consumer Representative
- Prudence Buist – Consumer Representative
By updating our profession’s Code of Ethics, we are continuing to support all pharmacists to navigate the increasingly complex challenges we face. This breadth of expertise ensures the refreshed Code will be rigorous, practical, and responsive to the needs of our profession and the communities we serve.
Best wishes,
Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS
PSA National President
