Applying to register under Comparable Pathway

The comparable pathway process is open to pharmacists who:

• Hold current or previous registration with a pharmacy registration authority recognised as comparable by Council

and;

• Have post-registration work experience as a pharmacist in a comparable authority jurisdiction deemed by Council as sufficient to support safe and effective practice in New Zealand.

Council current considers the UK, Ireland, USA and Canada as comparable countries for the purposes of this pathway.

All other countries (except for Australia) are considered non-comparable.

You can apply now if you hold current registration and have recent practice in a comparable country

To make an application you need to:

• have gained your pharmacy qualification in UK, Ireland, USA or Canada OR if you gained your pharmacy qualification elsewhere, you need to have done PEBC in Canada, OSPAP in the UK or NAPLEX in the USA

AND

• be currently registered and in good standing in UK, Ireland, USA or Canada and;
• be practising in one of the above comparable countries

Your process will be straight forward. See below for how to make an application. If approved, we will register you with a condition that will include mandatory supervised practice (either 1 or 3 months), successful completion of a Law and Ethics interview and (if required) a revisit the workplace programme.

Broadened eligibility to come

Council is broadening the eligibility for this pathway to include consideration of pharmacists who:

• are not currently registered and practising in a comparable country but have been previously.
• qualified in a non-comparable country and are now registered in UK, Ireland, USA or Canada but did not have to complete PEBC, OSPAP or NAPLEX to register in the comparable country.

Supporting policy, assessment criteria, and operational processes are currently being developed to support this broadened eligibility.

Until these changes are implemented, all existing eligibility requirements remain as outlined earlier above. We will update the website and advise the profession once the policy has been finalised.

If one of the circumstances of broadened eligibility above applies to you and are considering registering in New Zealand when the new policy is in place, please email us to register your interest and we will contact you when the applications are available.

Application for Registration

Documentation to support a comparable pathway application includes the following:

• Certificate of Current Professional Status/Letter of Good Standing from each registration authority practised in over the last 10 years. This document must be no older than six months at the date of the application being submitted. The Pharmacy Council must receive these directly from the Registration Authority before an application can be considered.
• If not already checked by Immigration New Zealand, a criminal convictions record from each country an applicant has lived in.
• Copy of your primary pharmacy degree. 
• Name of supervising pharmacist, name and address of the pharmacy and proposed start date.
• Work history in chronological order including start and end dates, hours worked per week (approximate) for each role, and brief description of pharmacist duties.
• Supporting documentation if the applicant discloses a health or conduct matter.
• Application fee (credit/debit card).

A pharmacist must hold an annual practising certificate to practise pharmacy even while working under supervision and meeting specified requirements. Initially, a condition will be placed on the scope of practice, and it will be recorded on the public register. Once all the requirements of the condition have been met, the Council will remove the condition and issue an unconditional practising certificate.

Supervised Practice and the Law & Ethics Interview

Applicants from Ireland and the UK are required to complete a minimum of four weeks’ supervised practice under the supervision of a practising New Zealand pharmacist, before attending a Law and Ethics interview with an approved assessor.

Applicants from Canada and the USA are required to complete a minimum of three months’ supervised practice before attending the interview.  They must also successfully complete the revisit the workplace programme run by the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand.

NB: The supervising pharmacist must meet the Pharmacy Council requirements.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to find employment.  The Pharmacy Council does not assist with finding employment opportunities. 

Immigration Requirements

Applicants must be eligible to work as a pharmacist in New Zealand and must enclose proof with their application for Registration as a Pharmacist.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm their immigration status with the NZ Immigration Service.

For further enquiries please email the Registrations Officer.