Working in Australia?

[snowy]

Does anyone have any experience working as a UK-qualified pharmacist in Australia and/or know anything of the application procedure?

I'm interested to hear what it's like and I also heard somewhere that a certain number of years experience after pre-reg is required (maybe a year?) but can't find anything to confirm that.

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by snowy

Does anyone have any experience working as a UK-qualified pharmacist in Australia and/or know anything of the application procedure?

I'm interested to hear what it's like and I also heard somewhere that a certain number of years experience after pre-reg is required (maybe a year?) but can't find anything to confirm that.

Looked into it a few years ago, and it was 4 weeks supervised practice, letter of good standing from RPSGB and I think the state law exam, then off you went and was a pharmacist. Now its different since the RPSGB wisely decided that Aus and NZ pharmacists were not EU pharmacists and so had more stringent requirements. Best to check RPSGB website about this.

Not sure if Irish Republic still has reciprocal - might be a good starting point if there are large obstacles as a UK pharmacist.

[snowy]

Thanks, I did some investigating and found this. For anyone interested, currently applicants would need to follow Route B outlined in the link and the procedure is more complicated than a few years ago involving more tests and an interview. At the beginning of the document, one year's post-registration experience is stated to be required, although that was under the reciprocal agreement and it's not clear if this has changed with the end of the agreement.

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by snowy

Thanks, I did some investigating and found this. For anyone interested, currently applicants would need to follow Route B outlined in the link and the procedure is more complicated than a few years ago involving more tests and an interview. At the beginning of the document, one year's post-registration experience is stated to be required, although that was under the reciprocal agreement and it's not clear if this has changed with the end of the agreement.

Looks a lot more complicated now.
I know that a lot of Australian pharmacists worked here as they did the 'world tour' and most employers allow time as a sabbatical because they get well rounded people back at the end of it. For us now, the cost and the inability to work at your normal salary would put a lot of people off - especially those with partner and children. Probably best to a) get registered there _very_ early in your career. b)if there is a skills shortage get someone to sponsor you. c)if you've got relys (relatives) over there who can put you up cheaply it makes it even more worth looking into.

Would the last person to leave the UK please remember to switch off the lights, stop the milk and cancel the newspapers. Thanks.

[johnep]

Yes looking at palm trees and blue seas in Queensland seems very attractive at the moment. When UK house prices shot up in the late sixties, we considered emigrating to take advantage of the differential. However, the vietnam war made me nervous and also that, at that time there was a post war surplus of Oz pharmacists. i could have gone as a science teacher but to South Australian housing trust. In the end I stayed here. Probably one of my poorer decisions. 50 years younger and I would go ASAP.
johnep

[imaginegenerous]

Having spent 6 months in Oz late 2006/early 2007 I'm also considering going back out there to work. I didn't work as a pharmacist last time so have no experience of the Aussie way of doing things but from what I've seen, standard of living is better over there and, currently at least, house prices are cheaper - if I sold my little 2 bed apartment in a rather poor part of town I could actually buy something pretty decent over there for less money.

Snowy - have you considered joining the Pharmaceuitcal Society of Australia as an International member? It doesn't give you the right to practice but certainly allows you to keep up to date with what's going on out there and if you ever wanted to work out there it might give you a little bit of an advantage? Just a thought