New national research, September 2026

Australians trust their local pharmacist and want them to do more. That’s the message from new national research released by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia last month, which shows that pharmacists are no longer seen as just a place to fill a script. They are becoming the first stop for everyday health care.

A YouGov survey commissioned by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia found that 88% of Australians trust their pharmacist to advise on common, non-complex health conditions, and 79% support trained pharmacists assessing, treating and prescribing for everyday health conditions.¹

Why it matters right now

The research also shows that many Australians find it hard to see a GP when they need to. A quarter of people said they had waited longer than seemed reasonable for a GP appointment, almost as many couldn’t get an appointment when they needed one, and some had put off care because it was inconvenient or too expensive. In each case, Gen Z respondents were more likely to be affected.¹

Support for pharmacist prescribing was strong. 92% of respondents saw benefits in letting specially trained pharmacists assess, treat and manage health conditions. The benefits they named most often were easing pressure on GPs, more convenient access through local pharmacies, and having another care option alongside GPs, specialists and hospitals.¹

There is a broader benefit too. A June 2026 report by HTANALYSTS estimated that nationally consistent pharmacist prescribing for just four conditions could save the health system $1 billion, free up 10 million GP appointments and prevent 30,000 hospital admissions.¹

What’s changing

According to Pharmacy Guild President Professor Trent Twomey, pharmacists are returning to university for advanced training, and by next year more than 1,500 will be qualified to help manage both every day and long-term health conditions.¹

Right now, what a pharmacist can offer depends largely on individual state programs and trials, and there is no nationally recognised qualification for pharmacist prescribers.² In September 2025, the Pharmacy Board of Australia began developing a national endorsement framework for pharmacist prescribing.³ The Guild is now urging federal and state governments to introduce a nationally consistent prescribing framework.¹

For many Australians, the local pharmacy is already the most accessible part of the health system, and a national framework would help pharmacists do even more for their communities. Would you like to see your pharmacist play a bigger role in your everyday health care?

References

1. Retail Pharmacy, “Aussies back community pharmacy health services”, 25 September 2026. Reports YouGov research commissioned by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (n=1,058, conducted 7–9 September 2026) and the HTANALYSTS report (June 2026).
2. The Medical Republic, “Guild’s vision for pharmacists to administer, obtain, possess, prescribe, sell, supply s8 drugs”.
3. Pharmacy Guild of Australia, “Patient care boost from Pharmacy Board’s endorsement”, 17 September 2025.