How to become a Hospital Pharmacist

Prepares, dispenses, reviews and monitors medication of individual patients, and provides medication-related advice to patients in a multidisciplinary team of Health Professionals to deliver safe, patient-centred care in a hospital or clinical setting.

Main tasks

• Obtains medication histories, reviews inpatient charts and medication action plans, and administers and prescribes medications to ensure quality use of medicines
• Provides medication information to doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, patients and carers
• Facilitates the safe continuity of medication management and counselling to patients and carers on discharge from hospital
• Performs medication monitoring and adverse drug reaction management
• Collaborates with Health Professionals to develop medication management plans, including partnered pharmacist medication charting
• Maintains records of the supply of prescription medicines, controlled drugs and other restricted substances
• Supervises and coordinates the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns
• Stores and preserves vaccines, serums and other drugs subject to deterioration
• Participates in research, education, quality improvement activities, peer review and interdisciplinary ward rounds and meetings
• May compound and manufacture medicines when preparations are not available

Ways in

• University: Pharmacy degrees, Offered by 20 universities in Australia
• Licence or registration: Registration or licensing is required.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $101,712 a year
• About 42,000 people work in this job group now, and about 50,400 are projected by 2035. (+20%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Hospital Pharmacist?

Ways in include: Pharmacy degrees.

How much does a Hospital Pharmacist earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $101,712 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Hospital Pharmacist a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 20% by 2035, from about 42,000 to about 50,400 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Hospital Pharmacist?

Usually. 96% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Hospital Pharmacist?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04