About Pharmacy

Community pharmacy accessibility

Australia boasts a world-leading healthcare system and community pharmacies ensure accessible healthcare for all.

• 5,935 community pharmacies nationwide¹
• Over 443.6 million patient visits annually²
• 2,127 pharmacies open after hours, including weekends²

Frequent visits

On average, Australians visit a community pharmacy 18 times a year, regardless of whether they live in metropolitan, rural or remote areas.³

Proximity to pharmacies

• In capital cities, 97% of residents have access to a pharmacy within a 2.5 km radius.⁴
• In the rest of Australia, 74% of the population is within 2.5 km of a pharmacy.²

Trust in pharmacists

Pharmacists are among the most trusted professions in Australia, alongside nurses and doctors. Public opinion surveys reveal that 84% of adults trust the advice they receive from their pharmacists.⁵

Registered pharmacists

As of March 2024, there were 37,949 registered pharmacists in Australia.⁶

• 64% are women⁶
• 58% are under 40 years of age⁶

Prescriptions dispensed

There have been over 219 million electronic prescriptions issued for patients (original and pharmacy repeat prescriptions)⁷