Skills Recognition and Examination Process Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does the recent change in the Skilled Occupations List affect pharmacists who want to practise pharmacy in Australia?

Pharmacists can no longer migrate to Australia under the Skilled Migration Program on the basis of having the skills as a pharmacist.

If a pharmacist finds another pathway to enter Australia they will need to complete the APC assessment process and registration process of the Pharmacy Board of Australia before seeking registration to practise in Australia.

 2. How long does my pharmacy course have to be for me to be able to enter the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) assessment process?

The APC assessment process is open to any pharmacist who has completed an approved pharmacy program.  An approved pharmacy qualification awarded after 1 January 2006 must include a minimum component of the equivalent of four years full time academic study.  A person who graduated prior to 1 January 2006 must have completed an approved pharmacy program which required the equivalent of at least three years full time academic study.  Overseas trained pharmacists must also be registered or be eligible for registration as a pharmacist in the country in which the qualification was obtained.

 3. If I hold an Australian or New Zealand pharmacy qualification do I need an assessment?

Yes, if you are required to submit an assessment with a visa application.  The Application for Assessment form may be downloaded from the APC website www.pharmacycouncil.org.au and must be sent with supporting documentation to the APC office with the assessment fee of $500.

 4. How do I apply to sit the APC assessments?

Before a candidate can apply to sit either the Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KAPS) or the Competency Assessment for Overseas Pharmacists (CAOP) they must have received a positive eligibility assessment from the APC.  The Application for Assessment form may be downloaded from the APC website www.pharmacycouncil.org.au and must be sent with supporting documentation to the APC office with the assessment fee of $500.

 5. I am having difficulty downloading the forms on the website

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the forms.  Please download Adobe Acrobat Reader if you have not already done so.  If you have already downloaded Adobe Acrobat reader, try clicking on the refresh button at the top of your screen.  If this does not work, please contact apec@pharmacycouncil.org.au

 6. How long does an ‘Application for Assessment of Professional Qualifications in Pharmacy’ (Eligibility Assessment) take?

Eligibility Assessments may take 6-8 weeks from the date all correct documentation is received.

 7. How do I notify the APC that I have changed my address?

For security reasons and under Australia’s privacy legislation the APC needs to be certain that it is acting on the instructions of the candidate only.  To ensure this we require all advice of change of address to be sent under cover of an APC change of contact details form which includes the candidate’s original signature (a fax or e-mail with a scanned signature is insufficient for our requirements).  This should be forwarded as soon as possible after the candidate has changed their address.
Advice of any change of address should be sent to the APC’s postal address, which is:

Australian Pharmacy Council Ltd
PO Box 269
Civic Square  ACT  2608
AUSTRALIA

 

8. Are there any exemptions given from the English language requirements?

Candidates who undertook their secondary education and pharmacy tertiary studies in English in South Africa may seek exemption from satisfying the English language requirement for Stream A.  All other candidates are expected to satisfy the English language requirement.

Stream B candidates are not required to undertake an English language test.

 9. Can my English test results be sent to the APC directly from the testing centre?

Yes.  English test results may be sent to the APC directly from the testing centre however it is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that the APC has received the English test results.  Evidence of satisfactory English test results must be received before the closing date for either the KAPS or the CAOP.

 10. Can I sit the KAPS if my English test results are pending?

No. The APC does not accept applications for enrolment in the KAPS from individuals with English results pending, even if they are due within a short time after the closing date.  If we do in one case, we have to do this for all, and this would not leave us with sufficient time to complete the administrative arrangements in the time available.

 11. Where do I sit the assessments?

The English test and the KAPS and CAOP are conducted both overseas and in Australia , but the APC does not have a list of regular venues.  Once enrolments close for each session the APC identifies the places where the majority of candidates intend to sit, and arrange venues in those places.  This minimises the number of people who have to travel and keeps costs down.

The following is a list of venues that have been used most regularly in the past.  However, candidates should be aware that there is no guarantee that each of these will be used every session, as circumstances at the time can influence our use of venues.  Such circumstances include political unrest, natural disasters, hosting of major events (such as the Olympic Games) and availability of suitable venues.  For this reason candidates must provide three venue choices (in order of preference) on their application to sit the KAPS or CAOP.

Stream A Process
The KAPS may be offered in:

REGION	COUNTRY	CITY
Africa	Egypt	Cairo
	Ghana	Accra
	Kenya	Nairobi
	South Africa	Johannesburg
	Zimbabwe	Harare
Asia	China	Hong Kong
	Japan	Tokyo
	Philippines	Manila
	Singapore	Singapore
Europe	England	London
	Greece	Athens
	Russia	Moscow
Middle East	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh
	Turkey	Ankara
	United Arab Emirates	Dubai
Pacific	Australia	All capital cities and major provincial centres
	New Zealand	Auckland
Sub Continent	India	New Delhi
	Pakistan	Islamabad
South America	Peru	Lima

 

 

Stream B Process
The CAOP is offered in:

REGION	COUNTRY	CITY
Europe	England	London
Pacific	Australia	All capital cities and major provincial centres
	New Zealand	Auckland

NOTE:  We are unable to offer venues in either the United States of America or Canada because of the high cost of insurance premiums.

12. Where can I get help to study for the KAPS or CAOP?

The APC does not make copies of past papers available to candidates, nor are there any courses developed specifically for APC candidates as they all have different educational backgrounds.  However, once eligible to sit the exam, candidates are directed to a ‘Candidates’ Information Handbook’ which provides sample questions and sample patient profiles of the type used in the exam and a list of suggested references for the subject areas covered in the assessment.
Candidates should determine from the subject areas covered by the assessment, what their own areas of weakness might be, and prepare accordingly.  Once candidates are assessed as eligible, they are also provided with an order form for a computer assisted learning package on the subject areas of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Calculations, which is available for purchase. 

13. Where can I buy the books on the recommended reading lists?

In Australia the best starting point would be the University bookshop at your nearest School of Pharmacy.  The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) provides a mail order service for pharmacy texts.  Details can be found on their website at www.psa.org.au.  Select ‘Books and Products’ from the index on the left hand side of the PSA home page.

14. Will I be assisted in finding a placement to do my supervised practice?

It is the candidate's responsibility to arrange the practice experience.  It would be beneficial if at least some of the supervised practice is undertaken in a community pharmacy.
Competition for supervised practice placements in the larger Australian cities is strong, and some candidates have had better success in obtaining a placement when they have been prepared to work in a regional or rural area.