PHARMACY interns will sit their written exam between 17 and 21 Oct, the same week the Pharmacy Board of Australia will conduct oral assessments, the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) announced this week.
Announcing the new dates, APC CEO, Bronwyn Clark, said interns would be given the option of attending a test centre "as per usual" or sit the exam at home.
The move follows the cancellation of the Jun and Jul exam sessions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We truly felt for our candidates whose plans were suddenly disrupted and put on hold," she said.
"We appreciate everyone's patience whilst we have worked through our options and agreed on the best way forward.
"Our priority will always be you - our candidates and stakeholders.
"Your health and safety and that of our community will always come first."
Clark said candidates will be able to decide where they want to sit the exam when they register their application online at the APC website.
The APC also announced that the intern written exam has been shortened, from a three-hour time period to two hours, with candidates facing a total of 75 questions.
Registrations for the exam open on 25 Aug, and close on 07 Sep.
To be eligible to sit the exam, interns are required to be provisionally registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia, or have been registered in the past, and have completed 40% of the required supervised practice hours, or have completed them by the exam date.
Test centres will be available to candidates sitting the exam in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, while the APC may host exams in Townsville if numbers allow.
Acknowledging the disruption caused by the COVID crisis, Clark praised the efforts interns have gone to in supporting the profession and the community in recent months.
"I want to thank you for all the great work you are doing in your intern year and recognise it's been a really tough one for you," she said.
"We are hoping everything goes well for you."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 29 Jul 20
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 29 Jul 20
