Contact your local MP

Ask your local federal MP to support our campaign

At every stage in this pandemic, Australia’s pharmacists have played a critical role in helping to combat the spread of COVID-19 – from supplying rapid antigen tests and administering COVID-19 vaccinations, to dispensing medications and providing health advice.

Yet despite this, community pharmacy continues to be plagued by poor wages and working conditions with pharmacists remaining the lowest paid graduates in Australia.

In 2018, Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), your industry union, ran a case in the Fair Work Commission to have pharmacists pay lifted in the Pharmacy Industry Award.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia opposed PPA’s case, however we did manage to convince the Fair Work Commission to agree to review Graduate Pharmacist pay rates at a later date.

It's now 2022, and the Graduate Pay Review is due to begin later this year. PPA is campaigning for an increase to graduate pharmacist pay through its Graduate to a Fairer Wage campaign.

Currently graduate pharmacists are the lowest paid graduates in Australia. Even a graduate studying a one-year cert 3 in manufacturing is paid more than an intern pharmacist.

How you can help

While the Fair Work Commission will make the final decision on whether to increase pay for graduate pharmacists, it takes into consideration the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including the Federal Government.

You can help by sending a message to your federal MP, asking them to meet with you to dicuss the terrible working conditions you and your fellow pharmacists are experiencing.

You can use the below form which will automatically generate an email to your federal MP.

The email we will send on your behalf

Dear [MP name],

As a constituent of your electorate and a professional pharmacist, I'm writing to you regarding the low rates of pay and poor working conditions of community pharmacists.

Despite the critical role we have played in helping to combat the spread of COVID-19, pharmacists remain the lowest paid graduates in Australia and one of the poorest paid professions.

In 2018, Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA) ran a case in the Fair Work Commission to have pharmacists' pay lifted by 30%. Unfortunately, this was opposed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and community pharmacists missed out on much needed pay increases.

Fortunately, the Fair Work Commission has announced a Review of Graduate Skills, which is expected to commence this year and this provides a valuable opportunity for PPA to once again campaign for increases to graduate pharmacists’ pay.

With the impending federal election, I would like to organise a meeting with you and pharmacists in your electorate to discuss how you can help us fight for better wages and conditions in community pharmacy. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
[Pharmacist’s name]