With the significant changes to pharmacy dispensing remuneration and wholesale mark-ups taking effect in Australia from July 1 — our sector is entering a pivotal new phase.
Our sector is preparing for the most significant shift in dispensing remuneration we have faced in more than a decade.
On July 1, 2026, a new PBS wholesale mark-up structure takes effect, moving to a dispensed pack calculation and reducing the percentage mark-up on many items to 4.3 percent.
As a pharmacist, and as President of both the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the World Pharmacy Council, I know these changes go to the core of how we sustain safe, accessible dispensing in every community.
Dispensing fees, AHI Tier 1 payments and dangerous drug fees will also index on July 1, alongside wage increases flowing from the Fair Work Commission’s 2026 Annual Wage Review and the next stage of the 14.1 percent pay-equity uplift.
With the significant changes to pharmacy dispensing remuneration and wholesale mark-ups taking effect in Australia from July 1 — our sector is entering a pivotal new phase.
The Community Service Obligation funding pool is expanding to include Section 100 medicines to help maintain equitable access as we transition to the new settings.
And as we move into these new arrangements, I want to acknowledge dispensing remains the backbone of our profession — and with the strength, skill and unity of our members, it will continue to be a sustainable, valued cornerstone of primary care.
Australia’s Top End
In other significant movements for our profession, in mid-May I was in Australia’s Northern Territory for the Government’s announcement of major reforms expanding the scope of practice for trained community pharmacists.
With 43 community pharmacies across the Territory progressively rolling out these expanded services — supported by a AUD 1-million investment in pharmacist training — this is a reform set to deliver real, measurable benefits for patients.
People in the NT face some of the longest waits for primary care in the country, with one in four people waiting more than three weeks for a GP appointment and almost half saying the wait is unacceptable.
When you live in a place where distances are vast and services are stretched, timely care is essential.
These reforms will make a meaningful difference.
Specially trained pharmacists will now be able to examine, diagnose and treat a wider range of everyday and long-term health conditions, including school sores, ear infections, asthma, hormonal contraception, chronic disease risk reduction and more.
It means patients can ‘Think Pharmacy First’ for more of their everyday care.
It also means GPs and emergency departments can focus on more complex presentations.
What impressed me most was the NT Government’s clarity of purpose. They want healthcare to be quicker, easier and more affordable.
They want people spending less time waiting and more time getting on with life.
They recognise empowering pharmacists strengthens the entire primary healthcare system.
With 43 community pharmacies across the Territory progressively rolling out these expanded services — supported by a AUD 1-million investment in pharmacist training — this is a reform set to deliver real, measurable benefits for patients.
Centenary planning underway
In 2027, the PGA turns 100 and plans to celebrate this milestone are well underway.
It marks a century since community pharmacy owners made the deliberate choice to come together.
They chose to organise, to set standards and to advocate for the profession they believed in.
That legacy of unity and purpose continues to shape who we are today.
We are preparing a year-long program of events, celebrations and reflections.
Major announcements are still to come. I can say this much: APP2027 will be unlike any APP we have delivered before.
It will feature new experiences, new formats and a strong focus on the future of our profession.
Delegates will not be disappointed.
Focus on men’s health
On June 2, I was at Parliament House in Canberra for a men’s health event hosted by the PGA and Movember.
The room was packed with MPs, advisers, pharmacists and health leaders.
The focus was clear: too many men are missing out on early intervention and everyday care.
Australia’s Special Envoy for Men’s Health, Dan Repacholi MP, spoke powerfully about the need for earlier intervention and more accessible everyday care for men.
He reminded the room too many men delay seeking help until problems escalate, and a trusted conversation in a pharmacy can change this trajectory.
Men in Australia visit a pharmacy every three weeks on average.
For many, it is the health service they use most often.
A five-minute conversation in a pharmacy can be the difference between catching a problem early and ending up much sicker down the track.
Movember’s new Men in Mind training for pharmacists will help build confidence in having those early, meaningful conversations.
It is a simple idea with profound impact. It meets men where they are, in a trusted and accessible environment.
And it helps them take that first step towards better health.
Global collaboration ahead
As President of the World Pharmacy Council, I recently returned from Berlin, Germany, for the Council’s annual Pharmintercom Conference.
The gathering is an annual high-level policy forum where global pharmacy leaders come together to align on international advocacy, sustainable funding models and the future of patient-centred care.
Australia has a strong voice at this table and I look forward to sharing our progress soon.
Across every one of these engagements — local, national and international — the message is clear.
Pharmacy is evolving.
The world is watching.
Our role is expanding.
Our impact is growing.
Our responsibility to lead has never been greater.
