New exam results mean more pharmacists for New Zealand
Interns around the country are finding out if they have qualified to become pharmacists this week.
There has been an 86% pass rate of people going through the Pharmacy Council November Assessment Centre. There was a 67% pass rate in the May Assessment Centre and in the 2022 November Assessment Centre, the pass rate was 47%.
Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand President Rhiannon Braund was impressed by the results for the 198 new pharmacists.
“This group are entering pharmacy at an exciting time and will be very welcomed by their peers.
“This new intake should mean an ease of workforce pressures such as chronic understaffing.”
Professor Braund thanked the preceptors and the pharmacy teams involved who supported their interns.
“The pass rate is fantastic to see and was achieved with a real community effort.
“This couldn’t have happened without the work form the preceptors and employers. Everyone involved should be incredibly proud of what has occurred.”
The examination process sees interns go through different live scenarios where their knowledge is tested by actors performing the roles of patients, and assessors looking for everything from technical skill to the intern’s ability to perform under pressure.
“I’m really excited to hear about how all of our new pharmacists develop as they embark on what will be a rewarding employment journey. They are such an important part of our health sector. Congratulations.”
Note to editors:
• The role of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand in this examination process is to deliver the Assessment Centre, which it does on behalf of the pharmacy profession’s regulator the Pharmacy Council.
• The Assessment Centre is the Pharmacy Council’s examination for ensuring any intern is fit and competent to be an unsupervised pharmacist.
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