World Pharmacists Day sees politicians and leaders honour pharmacists for being trusted and accessible

In Australia and New Zealand, and around the world, patients trust their pharmacists to provide advice, support medicines management, and deliver more accessible care.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s National President Prof Trent Twomey thanked community pharmacists on the day for remaining trusted and accessible, and ready to help when patients need care.

"This year’s theme, Think Health, Think Pharmacy First, expresses the journey we are on — to elevate the understanding of how community pharmacy underpins and enriches Australia’s healthcare system,” he said.

World Pharmacists Day is a global celebration which recognises the important role of pharmacists in meeting healthcare needs across the world.

In Australia some 37,000 pharmacists across nearly 6,000 community pharmacies play a vital role in providing trusted, accessible care for patients in every community.

In New Zealand, more than 1,000 community pharmacies are located across the country – many with extended opening hours, allowing care close to home and with no need to make an appointment.

Leaders express their thanks

This year, Australia’s Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese, and the country’s Opposition Leader, the Hon Sussan Ley, joined other politicians and leaders from across the nation to share via a video their thanks for the vital role pharmacists play.

The video was created by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) and was shared widely on social media platforms across the country.

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (PGNZ) also created a video with messages of thanks for pharmacists from politicians and representatives of the country’s health system.

The video features New Zealand’s Minister of Health, the Hon Simeon Brown, the Director-General of Health and Ministry of Health, Chief Executive Audrey Sonerson, and Labour health spokesperson, the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall.

Expanded services

In Australia, celebrations commenced in the early morning in Brisbane, Queensland, with national media outlets covering PGA’s life-size consult room, which was set up in Newstead’s Gasworks Plaza.

The PGA’s consult room display is designed to highlight how community pharmacists are delivering expanded services to meet the evolving needs of patients in Australia.

In other states and territories, celebrations included acknowledging the Australasian College of Pharmacy’s expanded training opportunities as it partners with governments and universities, and pilots new services.

In Tasmania, Australia

A landmark announcement was also made in Tasmania on World Pharmacists Day to say women there will be among the first in the country able to access hormonal contraception initiation through community pharmacies,

The PGA praised the news that within 100 days, trained pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Tasmania will be able to initiate and supply hormonal contraception.

PGA’s Tasmanian Branch President Joe O’Malley said the reform positioned Tasmania as a leader in women’s health care access and emphasised the game-changing difference for women across the state.

A concerning gap

The PGA also released some new statistics on World Pharmacists Day which show a major gap in Australia around the public’s understanding of the full care local pharmacists can offer.

A new study has found that while 82 percent of Australians visit a pharmacy regularly and 84 percent trust the medical advice they receive, nearly half are unaware pharmacists can provide prescription medicines, medical certificates for short-term illness, and treatment for common conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs)¹.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Professor Trent Twomey, said the findings highlight the urgent need to unlock the full potential of pharmacies.

“Australians already make 440 million visits to their pharmacist each year, but half don’t know the full scope of care available,” Prof Twomey said.

“That’s a gap we can close today,” he said.

---

1. Research by YouGov, September 2025, sample size was 1,030 adults. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults (aged 18+).