SHPA has Committees of Specialty Practice (COSPs) to advise Federal Council, promote professional practice in areas of expertise, and assist in the development of practice levels and standards. Click here for contact details of all COSPs.

For information about the format of SHPA Practice Standards, read the SHPA Guidelines for Committees of Specialty Practice (members only).

Access to Practice Standards: Copies of SHPA Practice Standards published in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research or The Australian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy can be ordered from the National Library of Australia. You can order online at the NLA website by providing the citation and credit card details.

Clinical Services

Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy August 2004, J Pharm Pract Res 2005; 35 (2): 122-46
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(Supersedes SHPA Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy 1996.)

SHPA Standards of Practice for the Provision of Medication Reconciliation August 2007, J Pharm Pract Res 2007; 37 (3): 231-3
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Standards of Practice for the Community Liaison Pharmacist May 1996, Aust J Hosp Pharm 1996; 26: 570-2
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Standards of Practice for the Practice of Psychiatric Pharmacy 2000, Aust J Hosp Pharm 2000; 30 (6): 292-5
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(supersedes Guidelines for the Practice of Psychiatric Pharmacy 1996)

Standards of Practice for the Provision of Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Services 2002, J Pharm Pract Res 2002; 32 (2): 115-18
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(supersedes Standards of Practice for the Oncology Pharmacist 1996)

Standards of Practice for the Provision of Oral Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer May 2007, J Pharm Pract Res 2007; 37 (2): 149-52.
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(supersedes Guidelines for Counselling Patients Receiving Drugs Used in the Treatment of Neoplastic Disease: A Pharmacist's Guide to Advisory Labels and Patient Information October 2000)

Standards of Practice Guidelines for Hospital Pharmacy Outpatient Services September 2006, J Pharm Pract Res 2006; 36 (3): 220-4
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(supersedes Practice Guidelines for Outpatient Services 1996)

Standards of Practice for the Provision of Consumer Medicines Information by Pharmacists in Hospitals February 2007, J Pharm Pract Res 2007; 37 (1): 56-8
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(supersedes Standards of Practice for the Provision of Consumer Product Information by Pharmacists in Hospitals 1999)

Standards of Practice for Drug Information Services May 1998, Aust J Hosp Pharm 1999; 29 (3): 171-6 (currently under review)
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Standards of Practice for Australian Poisons Information Centres May 1999, (currently under review)
(supersedes Guidelines on Quality Assurance for Poisons Information Centres 1996
Guidelines for Information Sources for Poisons Information Centres 1996
Guidelines on Minimum Staffing Levels of Professional Staff for Poisons Information Centres 1996
Guidelines for Training and Continuing Education of Poisons Information Pharmacists 1997)
(supersedes Standards of Practice for Quality Assurance of Drug Information Centres 1996)

Standards of Practice for Critical Care Pharmacists November 2007, J Pharm Pract Res 2008; 38(1): 58-60
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Standards of Practice in Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Practice June 2006, J Pharm Pract Res 2006; 36(2): 139-42
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Standards of Practice for the Provision of Palliative Care Pharmacy Services November 2006, J Pharm Pract Res 2006; 36(4): 306-8
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Distribution Services

Standards of Practice for the Safe Handling of Cytotoxic Drugs in Pharmacy Departments August 2004, J Pharm Pract Res 2005; 35(1): 44-52
Click here for Appendix 1 which was unintentionally omitted from the version published in March 2005 edition of J Pharm Pract Res.
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Standards of Practice for the Transportation of Cytotoxic Drugs from Pharmacy Departments August 2007, J Pharm Pract Res 2007; 37 (3): 234-5
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Practice Guidelines for Aseptic Dispensing Services May 1996, Aust J Hosp Pharm 1994; 24 (6): 509-12 (currently under review)

Standards of Practice for the Distribution of Medicines in Australian Hospitals June 2006, J Pharm Pract Res 2006; 36(2): 143-9
(supercedes SHPA Drug Distribution Guidelines 1996)
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Guidelines for the Design and Presentation of Drug Dosage Forms May 1996, Aust J Hosp Pharm 1992; 22 (4): 323-7 (currently under review)

Standards of Practice for Parenteral Therapy in Home Health Care September 1998
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Management Services

SHPA Standards of Practice for Drug Usage Evaluation in Australian Hospitals May 2004, J Pharm Pract Res 2004; 34 (3): 220-3
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SHPA Guidelines for Self-Administration of Medication in Hospitals and Residential Care Facilities August 2002, J Pharm Pract Res 2002; 32 (4): 324-5
(supersedes Self-Medication Guidelines May 1996)
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SHPA Standards of Practice for Pharmacy Investigational Drugs Services March 2006, J Pharm Pract Res 2006; 36 (1):46-53
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Key Management Competencies May 1996 (currently under review)

Position Statement on the Provision of Drug Utilisation Data November 1995, Aust J Hosp Pharm 1996; 26 (2): 247
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Definitions for Hospital Pharmacy Services 1996

Related Publications

SHPA Code of Ethics February 2006
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Competency Standards for Pharmacists in Australia 2003
Click here to download new standards. This document describes the knowledge, skills and attitudes a registered pharmacist should possess to be competent to practice in any area of contemporary Australian pharmacy. These competency standards complement professional practice standards, which are quality standards. Practice standards address quality of service by describing the systems or processes that should be used by pharmacists to assure consistency and uniformity in the professional services delivered to consumers or other health care providers. Optimal health outcomes can be achieved through application of quality standards by competent practitioners.

Click here to view other standards available from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.


Updated 26 November 2007