Key messages
- The Victorian Government is expanding the role of community pharmacists under the Community Pharmacist Program.
- Participating pharmacies can provide the following services under a structured prescribing model:
- treatment of shingles
- treatment of impetigo
- resupply of treatment for flare-up of mild plaque psoriasis
- resupply of select hormonal contraception without a prescription for women or gender diverse person with female biology
- treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women
- travel health and other vaccinations
- From November 2025, the Community Pharmacist Program will be promoted to the Victorian community as Chemist Care Now.
- As the program expands, participating pharmacies will be notified as new services become available and will be given information about training requirements and how to add services. Please ensure your contact details with the Department of Health are up to date.
Medication cost
The medication provided under the Community Pharmacist Program is not subsidised under the PBS. Patients receiving treatment from pharmacists will need to pay the full medication cost.
Please discuss likely medication costs with all patients prior to a consultation.
Additional resources have been developed to support your conversation with patients:
Consultation costs
Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the Victorian Government per eligible consultation for health conditions and wellbeing services.
Pharmacies must not charge patients for these services.
Travel health and other vaccination services
Pharmacies will receive a $20 payment from the Victorian Government for the administration of at least one approved vaccine as part of an eligible travel health and other vaccination consultation.
Pharmacies may charge patients an additional consultation fee, as well as the cost of any vaccines given.
Please note, as per the Protocol for Vaccine Administration, all travel health consultations must be for overseas travel. Vaccines approved for non-travel purposes are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Poliomyelitis, and Typhoid.
Pharmacy payments
Payments mentioned above are exclusive of GST. The GST will be applied in the pharmacy payments.
MedAdvisor is the department’s authorised payment provider for the Program pharmacy payments. Payments will be made to the pharmacy’s nominated bank account usually in the third week of each month, in arrears.
Please ensure MedAdvisor has your up-to-date nominated bank account details and ABN.
Resources for consultations
For each consultation, pharmacists must use the following resources:
Consent information for patients
This form must be used to receive informed consent from each patient:
Management Protocols
Approved pharmacists must comply with the Community Pharmacist Statewide Program's clinical management protocols for service delivery.
The management protocols to support the delivery of the program services are listed below:
Patient handouts
Patient handouts for each condition have been developed.
These handouts must be given to each patient as part of the consultation process.
The patient handouts to support the delivery of the program services are listed below:
Additional resources for pharmacists
The Community Pharmacist Program is now promoted to the Victorian community as Chemist Care Now.
Frequently asked questions
Training
As part of the Secretary Approval (PDF) pharmacists are required to successfully complete specified before they can commence the service. This includes the modules listed in the table below for each clinical service.
Please note that costs may apply.
Pharmacists who complete post graduate prescriber programs accredited with the Australian Pharmacy Council may be eligible to practice in the Program. For more information please email AdminPharmacistProgram@health.vic.gov.au.
Training course options and links for the program’s clinical services are listed in the below table.
| Service | Training course options | Training provider |
Treatment for Urinary tract infections
| Managing uncomplicated cystitis 5 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
Uncomplicated Cystitis Treatment Pharmacist Training 1.5 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy
| |
| Treatment for Impetigo | 1 hour | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
1 hour | Australasian College of Pharmacy | |
Skin Conditions Course Victoria 3 hours (Psoriasis, Shingles, Impetigo) | Australasian College of Pharmacy | |
| Resupply of Hormonal Contraception | Contraception Essentials Explained 3.5 hours Pharmacists who have previously completed this course to support the oral contraception service can provide the expanded contraceptive services. | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
1.5 hours Pharmacists who have completed this course will not be able to deliver the expanded contraceptive services including resupply of the vaginal ring or the injectable depot. Additional options will be advised for pharmacists who have completed this course. Resupply of oral contraception can continue to be provided. | Australasian College of Pharmacy
| |
| Vaccination services | 6 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
7.5 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy
| |
Skin conditions: Herpes Zoster (Shingles) and Mild Plaque Psoriasis | Mild plaque psoriasis and Herpes Zoster (shingles) 2.5 hours | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
Skin Conditions Course Victoria 2 hours | Australasian College of Pharmacy |
Legislative authorisation
Pharmacists participating in the program are authorised under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017, to administer, supply and sell specified Schedule 4 poisons without a prescription or other instruction or authorisation subject to some limitations and conditions.
Participating pharmacists must comply with the Secretary Approval: Community Pharmacist Statewide Program (Approval), issued under regulation 163A, which approves specific Schedule 4 poisons for administration, supply or sale under the program.
View the Victorian Government Gazette notice for the Approval (PDF) (pg.1366). You can also download the Secretary approval:
The Approval specifies the conditions in which a pharmacist is authorised to administer, supply or sell the Schedule 4 poison, including:
- the training that must be completed before that activity occurs, and
- the protocol(s) that must be followed when supplying treatment for suspected urinary tract infections, resupplying hormonal contraception, administering vaccines under the program, or supplying treatment for herpes zoster (shingles), impetigo or mild plaque psoriasis.
Provided all requirements are met, the administration, supply or sale of the specified Schedule 4 poisons can take place.
To supply treatment for suspected urinary tract infections, impetigo, herpes zoster (shingles), resupply of treatment for mild plaque psoriasis or resupply hormonal contraception under the program, pharmacists must also comply with regulation 57A of the Regulations.
To administer vaccines under the program, pharmacists must also comply with regulation 99B of the Regulations.
System requirements
Participating pharmacies are required to have a MedAdvisor subscription to deliver services under the program.
| Program services | Required subscription tier |
|---|---|
Urinary Tract Infection Hormonal Contraception Impetigo Oral Contraception Skin conditions (herpes zoster (shingles) and mild plaque psoriasis) Travel Health + Immunisation | MedAdvisor Core |
Note: Pharmacies currently participating in the program that are on MedAdvisor Essentials will continue to have access to the Urinary Tract Infection, Oral Contraception and Skin Condition services if eligible.
More information is available in the pharmacist information pack or email MedAdvisor at info@medadvisor.com.au.
Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot
The Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot (pilot) ran from 27 October 2023 to 30 July 2025 to test an expanded role for community pharmacists.
An evaluation of the pilot’s first 12 months of operation can be found at Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot - A summary report.
Updated