ADVANCED Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has welcomed news of this year's record intake of graduate doctors into the Queensland health system, but warned that without comparable investment in hospital pharmacy interns, the state risks undermining medicines safety and the long-term sustainability of its health system.
The Queensland Government announced yesterday that more than 930 new first year graduate doctors will start their training in hospitals across the state this year, bringing the state closer to delivering the 46,000 additional health staff needed by 2032 to meet a growing demand for health services.
However, AdPha President Associate Professor Tom Simpson highlighted the disconnect between health system growth and pharmacy workforce investment, saying it placed patients at risk.
"Medicines are the most common intervention in healthcare, yet pharmacy resourcing is not keeping pace with growing demand," Assoc Prof Simpson said.
"You can build more beds and recruit more doctors, but without enough hospital pharmacists coming through the pipeline, patients will face delays, increased risk of medication errors, and fragmented care."
AdPha's State of Pharmacy: Workforce Insights 2025 report showed that Queensland's hospital pharmacy workforce is already under significant pressure, with 12.8% of hospitals reporting pharmacy intern vacancies, alongside widespread pharmacist and technician shortages.
In addition, the number of pharmacy interns has declined over the past decade and is now sitting at around 35 interns.
Meanwhile, Queensland Health's Pharmacy Workforce Plan 2022 - 2032 acknowledged that increasing intern positions is a critical activity and an indicator of success.
"Hospital pharmacy interns are not optional extras - they are essential to safe, high-quality care," Assoc Prof Simpson said.
"They support multidisciplinary teams, improve patient outcomes, and ensure medicines expertise is embedded across the entire health system.
"Their contribution is particularly critical in regional and rural hospitals, where workforce shortages are often most acute."
AdPha has called for a $219 million investment over four years, including funding for 200 hospital pharmacy intern positions annually from 2026 to 2029, progression into two-year Resident Training Programs from 2027, and the recruitment of clinical educators to ensure high-quality supervision and long-term workforce sustainability.
"If Queensland is serious about strengthening its health system, investment in pharmacy interns must match its ambition for medical workforce growth," Assoc Prof Simpson said.
"Every patient deserves timely, safe access to medicines - and that starts with building and sustaining the hospital pharmacy workforce of the future," he concluded. KB
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 06 Jan 26
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 06 Jan 26
