Pharmacy Daily | Overseas-trained pharmacists in limbo

THE 60-Day Dispensing (60DD) policy has served to pull the rug out from foreign-trained pharmacists seeking visas, with business owners too worried about their bottom line to take any risks with sponsorship, according to South Australian pharmacy owner Irfan Hashmi. The situation hasn't been helped by more offshore Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KAPS) centres opening last year, significantly raising the number of overseas-trained pharmacists who have passed their exams, Hashmi told Pharmacy Daily. The bottleneck doesn't look like it will be resolved soon, with the Australian Government slowing the issuance of invitations for visa application, possibly based on recommendations from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's latest Workforce Capability report, he suggested. Hashmi is highly experienced as a mentor to overseas pharmacists as they navigate qualifying exams and visa hurdles to obtain their right to work in Australia. "Business owners are afraid of the impact of 60DD on their revenues, and they really don't want to wait up to two years to hire a pharmacist," Hashmi added. "Further, my understanding from the state ministers I met was that the Federal Government is acting on advice from the Guild's workforce report and has slowed further work visas for pharmacists. "The whole situation is in limbo as KAPS centres, just in Pakistan and India, increased from one to two to eight in each country, with around 1,000 pharmacists who have passed their exams awaiting visas." Pharmacist Muhammad Tayyab Khan, who has passed his KAPS, Ahpra and English proficiency requirements, and completed at least 50 additional Australian courses, is one of many awaiting an invitation to apply for a visa. "I am happy to take on all the costs and hassles of the visa process to work only in rural areas as I know I can make a positive difference to lives of my patients." The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) said it is not a decision maker in visa approvals, job placements or migration policy. However, APC added it is working across the sector with colleagues to further improve the international pharmacists' journey. JG

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