251513
Retail Pharmacist
Dispenses prescribed pharmaceuticals to the public, educates customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines, and sells non-prescription medicines and related goods in a community pharmacy. Registration or licensing is required.
Relevant occupation lists
STSOL — Short-term Skilled Occupation List This list is relevant to certain nominated and other skilled visa pathways, including the 190 and state-nominated 491 under the applicable rules. It does not provide access to the points-tested 189. “Short-term” is the list’s name and does not mean every visa using it is temporary.
CSOL — Core Skills Occupation List Introduced on 7 December 2024, the CSOL is used for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa, subclass 482, and the Direct Entry stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme visa, subclass 186. Check the stream-specific requirements and any restrictions on the proposed position.
Visa pathways listed for this occupation
Select a visa to read the fuller explanation on this website, including the requirements you need to consider alongside the occupation listing.
Recorded subclass 189 invitation round
–The recorded subclass 189 results for 4 June 2026 do not show an invitation for this occupation.
The lowest invited score describes what happened in one round. It can change with the occupations selected, places available and candidates waiting, so it is not a fixed score to aim for. Where candidates have the same points, invitation order uses the EOI’s date of effect, broadly the time it reached that score. Check the tie-break information alongside the points result.
States and territories select candidates for the subclass 190 and state-nominated subclass 491 pathways through their own programmes. There is no single national invitation cut-off for those pathways, so look at the relevant jurisdiction’s criteria and published selection information.
Skills assessing authority
Where your visa requires a skills assessment, check the designated authority, the assessment pathway and when the result must be available. The authority sets its own criteria for qualifications, experience and evidence; a positive assessment does not by itself establish that every visa requirement is met.
- APharmCAustralian Pharmacy Council Limitedhttps://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/
ANZSCO
The material below reproduces the Australian Bureau of Statistics ANZSCO entry. Read it as the occupation’s classification description, alongside the current visa and assessment requirements.
Occupation description
Dispenses prescribed pharmaceuticals to the public, educates customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines, and sells non-prescription medicines and related goods in a community pharmacy. Registration or licensing is required.
Alternative job titles
ANZSCO skill level 1
Skill level 1 ANZSCO broadly places these occupations at bachelor’s degree level or above. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification in the classification, and some occupations require additional experience or training. This does not automatically replace the qualification requirements of a skills assessment or visa.
In Australia and New Zealand: Occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification and a one year traineeship (ANZSCO Skill Level 1). Registration or licensing is required.
Typical tasks
- receiving prescriptions, checking patients' medicine histories, and ensuring optimal dosage and methods of administration and drug compatibility before dispensing
- preparing or supervising the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines, ointments, powders, tablets and other medications to fill prescriptions
- advising prescribers on drug incompatibility and contra-indications
- reviewing and monitoring the medicine therapy of individual patients, and assessing the effectiveness of the total medicine therapy
- maintaining prescription files and recording issue of narcotics, poisons and habit-forming drugs
- storing and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs subject to deterioration
- supplying non-prescription medicines, and diagnostic and therapeutic aids
- supervising and coordinating the work of Pharmacy Technicians, pharmacy interns and Pharmacy Sales Assistants
- conducting research to develop and improve pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related chemical products
- conferring with Chemists, Engineering Professionals and other professionals about manufacturing techniques and ingredients
- testing and analysing drugs to determine their identity, purity and strength in relation to specified standards
- developing standards for drugs used in pharmaceuticals
2515 Pharmacists
Pharmacists ensure safe and quality use of medicines, and optimise health outcomes by contributing to selecting, prescribing, monitoring and evaluating medicine therapy, and researching, testing and developing pharmaceuticals and medical products.
ANZSCO classification hierarchy
- 2Professionals
- 25Health Professionals
- 251Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals
- 2515Pharmacists
- 251513Retail Pharmacist
Other occupations in this unit group
Unsure whether this occupation fits your work?
Choosing an occupation involves more than finding a familiar job title. I can review your duties, qualifications and visa history with you, explain which occupation your evidence may support and identify any gaps before you apply for a skills assessment. That discussion can also help you understand how the occupation choice affects the visa options you are considering.
Book a consultationSources: the Department of Home Affairs for occupation lists, visa links, restrictions and assessing authorities; the Australian Bureau of Statistics for ANZSCO descriptions, tasks, skill levels, alternative titles and specialisations. The directory uses ANZSCO 2022 and, where relevant to the visa framework, ANZSCO 2013. Refer to the original entries for current requirements, attribution and reuse terms.
Home Affairs skilled occupation list · ABS occupation classification entry
Estimate your skilled migration points — Check the points categories for visas 189, 190 and 491
Next step
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