Aged Care On-site Pharmacist Program

The Aged Care On-site Pharmacist program supports the Australian Government’s measure to improve the health and wellbeing of older people by encouraging partnerships between pharmacists and residential aged care homes.

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is available to offer guidance on implementing the measure and facilitating collaboration among healthcare providers and aged care homes.

Aged Care Pharmacist Connect

Pharmacists and RACHs are invited to complete and submit the application form to participate in our Aged Care Pharmacist Connect initiative.
Find out more

About the Aged Care On-site Pharmacist program Support from WVPHN How to participate Funding structure More information

About the Aged Care On-site Pharmacist program

The Aged Care On-site Pharmacist (ACOP) program responds to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identifying the need to improve medication management and safety in residential aged care homes (RACHs). Introduced on 1 July 2024, ACOP provides ongoing funding for RACHs to either:

On-site pharmacists can:

  • Support person-centred care and informed decisions about medicines
  • Work with internal and external healthcare teams
  • Use proven methods to ensure safe, effective medication use
  • Improve medication management during care transitions
  • Engage all staff in safe medicine practices
  • Contribute to clinical governance and encourage a culture of continuous quality improvement to ensure safe and quality care for residents.

For more details, see Indicative Role Description: Aged Care On-site Pharmacist | Pharmacy Council

See also

Support from WVPHN

WVPHN can support both pharmacists and residential aged care homes looking to participate in ACOP by helping understand the program and how it can work for individual pharmacists and RACHs.  Find out more by booking an appointment with a member of our Healthy Ageing team by emailing: [email protected] 

Support for Pharmacists

Includes help with:

  • Understanding ACOP eligibility and training requirements
  • Registering interest through the Aged Care Pharmacy Connect platform
  • Being matched with residential aged care homes seeking ACOP support
  • Connecting with other pharmacists
  • Accessing training updates and professional development opportunities
  • Joining communities of practice to share learnings and challenges.

Support for RACHs

Includes help with:

  • Learning how the program works and what is required
  • Connecting with suitable community pharmacists or travelling ACOPs
  • Understanding differences between Tier 1 and Tier 2 funding models
  • Navigating onboarding, communication and workflow integration
  • Accessing resources, templates and implementation guidance
  • Participating in webinars, information sessions and special interest groups.

How to participate

Eligibility requirements for Pharmacists

To participate, onsite pharmacists must either:

  • have already completed an Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) Accredited pharmacist education program or
  • have an existing Medication Management Review credential and commit to completing by 30 June 2026 either:
    • an APC-accredited aged care on-site pharmacist training program or
    • an APC-accredited aged care on-site pharmacist recognition of prior learning process.

Any community pharmacy approved under Section 90 of the National Health Act 1953 can also participate in the program.

Eligibility requirements for RACHs

Residential aged care homes are eligible for the program if they:

To participate, RACHs must either:

RACHs providing only respite care are not eligible.

Homes can approach a participating community pharmacy of their choice to engage an on-site pharmacist.  This supports existing working relationships between a RACH and its community pharmacy. There is no location or proximity restriction.

Homes can also work with a business employing on-site pharmacists.

Aged Care Pharmacist Connect

WVPHN has launched the Aged Care Pharmacist Connect program to facilitate partnerships between RACHs and suitable pharmacists. Find out more and submit an application to join the program on our Aged Care Pharmacist Connect page.

Funding structure

Funding is offered for one on-site pharmacist per 250 beds in a residential aged care home and is organised into 50-bed increments, equivalent to a pharmacist working one day per week. This enables pharmacists to have a regular presence in a RACH including smaller homes.

RACH Bed Band FTE Rate, per eligible home Maximum onsite days Maximum annual pharmacy payment based on FTE (ex GST), as from 1 July 2025
Per week Per month Per financial year
1 to 50 0.2 1 5 45.5 $28,202.72
51 to 100 0.4 2 10 91 $56,405.44
101 to 150 0.6 3 15 136.5 $84,608.16
151 to 200 0.8 4 19 182 $112,810.88
201 to 250 1.0 5 23 228 $141,323.52
251 to 300 1.2 6 28 273.5 $169,526.24
301 and over 1.4 7 33 319 $197,728.96

Source: Aged Care On-site Pharmacist Measure Tier 1 Rules – Community Pharmacy claims and receives payments | Pharmacy Programs Administrator 

More information

For further information, contact the WVPHN Healthy Ageing team via email [email protected] 

 

Last modified: 19 December, 2025

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