Terms & Conditions – 2027 National Pharmacy Awards

1. Organiser and Overview

• The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, registered office Level 2, 15 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 (Guild), organises and promotes the National Pharmacy Awards (Awards)
• The Awards recognise and reward community pharmacy teams and individuals who demonstrate excellence within their pharmacy and foster a culture of continued business and professional development
• Participation in the Awards is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions
• The Awards are free to enter
• The Awards are a game of skill, and chance plays no role in determining the winners
• The Guild reserves the right to verify the validity of entries and entrants and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, tampers with the entry process, or otherwise contravenes the integrity of the Awards
• Information on how to enter and the prizes forms part of these Terms and Conditions

2. Definitions

• Awards means the National Pharmacy Awards
• Nominee means a pharmacy, pharmacist or student pharmacist identified via the public nomination process
• Entrant means a nominee invited by the Guild to proceed to Round Two who submits a completed entry in accordance with these Terms and Conditions
• Finalist means an Entrant shortlisted by a State or Territory judging panel
• Winner means a State or Territory Winner or a National Winner
• Primary Contact means the person nominated on the entry form as the main contact for the Entry
• Officer means a National Councillor of the Guild or a member of a Guild branch committee
• Competition Period has the meaning set out in Section 5
• Judging Panel means the State or Territory judging panel and the National judging panel, as convened by the Guild
• Judging Handbook means the internal guidance maintained by the Guild that outlines the conduct, protocols and procedures for judging across all stages

3. Award Categories

There are five award categories:

• Community Pharmacy of the Year
• Community Pharmacist of the Year
• Community Pharmacy Intern of the Year
• Student Pharmacist of the Year
• Community Pharmacy Assistant of the Year

One winner is selected for each award at State and Territory level. These winners become finalists for the National Awards. From the finalists, one National Winner is selected per award

4. Eligibility

Entry is open to:

• Australian pharmacy owners and their staff who are current financial members of the Guild at the time of entry and throughout the period leading up to the announcement of the National Winner
• Pharmacies that are QCPP accredited at the time of submission or become QCPP accredited prior to 30 September 2026

Additional eligibility notes

• Previous Guild Pharmacy of the Year entrants may submit entries
• Previous winners of Community Pharmacy of the Year or National Pharmacy Awards must wait five years from the date of their winning to be eligible to enter the awards again
• Unless otherwise notified by the Guild, previous winners of Community Pharmacist, Intern, Student and Pharmacy Assistant of the Year may re-enter in subsequent years

The following are not eligible to enter

• Employees of the Guild or any of its branches
• Pharmacies that are not current financial members of the Guild
• Any pharmacy in which a branch or National President has a significant management interest, including as a managing owner or where they are actively involved in day-to-day operations.
• Any pharmacy in which an officer, branch or National President has a controlling interest
• This requirement will be waived for ACT and NT which have fewer pharmacies and fewer still where members are not represented on branch committee. Additional steps will be taken in these locations to avoid conflicts of interest in judging.
• Eligibility questions are determined at the sole discretion of the Judging Panel and the Guild. The decision is final

5. Nomination Period and Time Zone

• Entries open at 11am AEDT on Thursday 12 March 2026 and close at 11:59 pm AEST on Sunday 12 April 2026.
• Nominations received after the Competition Period are ineligible

6. Nomination and Entry Process

• Members of the public, healthcare workers, pharmacists and those in the pharmacy sector may nominate community pharmacies, community pharmacists and student pharmacists
• Nominations are submitted via Find a Pharmacy at https://findapharmacy.com.au/awards
• Multiple nominations are permitted in the first nomination round
• A nomination does not constitute an Entry
• The Guild will invite shortlisted nominees to proceed to Round Two and submit a full Entry with supporting evidence
• Once invited to Round Two, only one Entry for each award category may be submitted per eligible pharmacy
• Entries must be submitted online using the Guild’s official entry form. Any submission sent without completing the online entry form is invalid
• The Guild may request additional information concerning any Entry
• Incomplete, indecipherable, damaged or corrupt entries, or entries not received due to technological issues, are invalid
• The Guild may, at its sole discretion, accept an Entry or supporting materials affected by exceptional circumstances where fairness and integrity are not compromised
• The Guild will not reimburse any costs associated with undertaking professional photography or videography for submission into Round Two and Entrants are reminded that there is no requirement or expectation that the materials be professionally produced
• The Guild may consolidate multiple public nominations referring to the same Entrant and may reallocate a nomination or Entry to a different Award category where eligibility is met and doing so better reflects the Entrant’s status

Author attribution and permissions

• Entrants must ensure ownership, contributors and key personnel are accurately attributed
• If an employee submits an Entry on behalf of a pharmacy, the Entrant warrants they have authority from the pharmacy owner to do so
• Incorrect or misleading attribution may result in disqualification

7. Judging and Assessment

Judging structure

• The Guild convenes judging panels at its discretion: one at State and Territory level, comprised of at least one local Officer, and one at National level.
• Each Judging Panel consists of a minimum of three members
• In appointing Judges, the Guild will seek to ensure diversity of experience, geography and gender representation reflective of the community pharmacy profession
• Judges should not serve in the same judging role for more than three consecutive years unless otherwise approved by the Guild

Confidentiality and conflicts

• All judges must sign a confidentiality agreement and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest prior to accessing any Entries
• If a conflict is identified, the judge must withdraw from deliberations on the affected Entry

Assessment process

• Each Entry is reviewed by National Secretariat to ensure it meets the minimum criteria being forwarded to the Judging Panel
• The Judging Panel may shortlist up to five Finalists per award for each State or Territory
• The Judging Panel may undertake site visits at Finalist pharmacy premises and conduct interviews with the Primary Contact and other identified staff
• The Judging Panel may conduct interviews with nominated pharmacists and student pharmacists and other identified staff
• The Judging Panel may obtain expert advice where specialist clinical, regulatory, QCPP or public health expertise is required to evaluate an Entry
• Following State and Territory assessment, Winners are determined for each category
• A separate National Judging Panel assesses State and Territory Winners to determine National Winners for each category

Assessment criteria

Criteria is broad, reflecting the wide scope of activities and services available in pharmacy and includes:

• Innovation in service delivery and practice models
• Community impact and patient outcomes
• Professional development culture and workforce capability
• Business excellence and sustainability
• Leadership and advocacy, including collaboration and mentorship
• For student entrants, potential for impact and commitment to the profession

Judging procedures and outcomes

• Detailed judging procedures are set out in the Guild Awards Judging Handbook, which guides the conduct and deliberations of all Judges
• This is a game of skill, and no element of chance determines winners
• The decision of the Judging Panels is final, and no correspondence will be entered into
• Entrants may submit procedural queries only. Judging outcomes cannot be appealed

8. Grounds for Disqualification

• Providing false, misleading or incomplete information
• Failing to maintain eligibility requirements, including QCPP accreditation by 30 September 2026
• Attempting to influence judges or interfere with the judging process
• Failing to reasonably participate in required interviews or site visits
• Conduct that brings, or is likely to bring, the Awards or the Guild into disrepute
• Breaching these Terms and Conditions
• Material misattribution of contributors or ownership in an Entry

9. Awarding of Prizes and Announcements

• State and Territory Winners will be announced at the respective Guild branch events.
• National Winners will be announced at the opening plenary session of APP 2027 on the Gold Coast
• All Finalists will be invited to attend APP 2026 and provided a travel allowance as set out in Section 10
• All National Finalists will be recognised at the session and videos may be played in full or in part

10. Travel Allowances and prize monies

Travel allowance for Finalists attending APP 2027

• The Guild will arrange and book return flights and accommodation on behalf of the prize winners for the purpose of attending the APP 2027
• All travel arrangements will be made at the Guild’s discretion, including selection of airlines, flight times, accommodation type, and location.
• Winners may be required to provide personal information necessary to complete these bookings.
• Any additional travel, upgrades, changes, or incidental expenses not expressly covered by the Guild will be the responsibility of the winners.

Prize monies

State and Territory Winners prize money 2027

• Student Pharmacist – $2,500 ($20,000)
• Community Pharmacist – $2,500 ($20,000)
• Community Pharmacy – $5,000 ($40,000)

National Winners prize money

• Student Pharmacist – $5,000
• Community Pharmacist – $7,500
• Community Pharmacy – $15,000

Redemption and payment conditions

• Travel allowance covers flights to APP 2027 and accommodation
• The Guild will advise whether travel is booked by the Guild or reimbursed upon valid tax invoices and receipts
• Where travel is booked by the Guild, changes or upgrades are at the Winner’s cost and subject to airline and accommodation provider policies
• Where reimbursement is used, valid tax invoices and receipts are required, and a reimbursement window may be set by the Guild and communicated in writing
• Cash prizes for Community Pharmacy are payable to the pharmacy entity. Cash prizes for individual categories are payable to the individual winner unless otherwise agreed
• Prizes and allowances may constitute assessable income. Winners are responsible for any taxation implications
• The organising body may amend or substitute prizes at its discretion with prizes of equal or greater value

Awards Alumni

• All Finalists become members of the Guild Pharmacy Awards Alumni, a network of recognised community pharmacies and pharmacists
• Alumni members may be invited to exclusive events and opportunities for collaboration and networking

11. Publicity, Content and Intellectual Property

• Photos and video content may be captured throughout the competition for publicity and promotional purposes
• Finalist videos highlighting achievements may be used in full or part, including at APP 2027 and in future Guild promotions
• By participating, Entrants consent to reasonable use of their name, likeness, image, voice, pharmacy name and story for promotional, marketing and media without further compensation, unless prohibited by law
• Materials created by or for the Guild during the Awards, including photography and video packages, are owned by the Guild but will usually be shared with winners.
• Entrants must ensure they have obtained necessary consents for any third-party materials they submit

12. Privacy and Data Handling

• The Guild collects, uses, discloses and otherwise handles personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy at www.guild.org.au
• To protect privacy, the Guild will not provide information about Entries to anyone other than the Entrant Contacts specified on the Entry
• The Guild will not publish the name of any Entrant nor disclose or reproduce any information from any Entry where that Entrant is not selected as a Finalist
• All commercially sensitive or confidential information must be clearly marked not for publication and, if appropriate, submitted as an appendix. The Guild will keep such information confidential and use it only for assessment purposes
• Personal data will be stored securely in accordance with applicable privacy laws
• The Guild will retain entries and associated information for five years

13. Winner and Finalist Obligations

• Finalists and Winners agree to participate in reasonable media, promotional and speaking activities related to the Awards
• Finalists and Winners agree to attend the relevant award announcements wherever reasonably practicable
• Entrants must notify the Guild promptly if they become subject to regulatory or professional conduct proceedings that could reasonably impact the integrity of the Awards

14. Technology, Access and Liability

• The Guild does not accept responsibility for incomplete, damaged or corrupt entries or for any technological issues preventing an entry from being received within the Competition Period
• To the extent permitted by law, the Guild is not liable for any loss, damage or injury suffered as a result of entering or in connection with the Awards, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law
• Nothing in these Terms limits any rights under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded

15. Changes to the Awards

• The Guild may amend these Terms and Conditions, the Awards structure or the published dates where necessary. Any material changes will be communicated on the Awards webpage
• The Guild may publish updates to the Judging Handbook or processes from time to time, provided the integrity and fairness of the Awards are maintained
• If there is any inconsistency between these Terms and any other published material, these Terms prevail

16. Governing Law

• These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Australian Capital Territory. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Australian Capital Territory

17. Contact

• For questions about eligibility, process or procedure, contact the Guild via the Awards webpage at https://findapharmacy.com.au/awards