Aged Care On-site Pharmacist Measure
The Aged Care On-site Pharmacist Measure has been implement to improve medicines safety and quality in aged care.
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) is committed to improving the safety and quality of medication management in residential aged care homes (RACHs), and is supporting RACHs to take up the Australian Government’s Aged Care On-site Pharmacist (ACOP) Measure, introduced 1 July 2024.
The ACOP measure is part of the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, particularly Recommendation 38, and provides funding to support RACHs to embed a credentialed clinical pharmacist within their care team.
An on-site pharmacist improves safe and effective use of medicines and enhances clinical governance in support of the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, implemented 1 November 2025.
Why ACOP matters
- Makes medicine information more accessible to residents, families, and staff.
- Introduces more timely and responsive clinical medicines review.
- Provides opportunistic interventions to prevent harm or emergency care.
- Improves the safe and effective use of medicines.
- Strengthens clinical governance through expert contributions.
- Enhances team-based care for residents, families, and staff.
What does an on-site pharmacist do?
- Collaborates with the multidisciplinary care team to optimise medicine use.
- Identifies and resolves medication-related problems through evidence-based practices.
- Provides personalised and person-centered medication reviews.
- Supports accreditation, quality use of medicines (QUM) activities, reporting, and quality indicators.
- Leads or participates in Medication Advisory Committee (MAC) meetings.
- Assists with safe medication storage and handling.
- Supports the safe transition of care.
The Australian Pharmacy Council has provided an indicative role description for an on-site pharmacist, which can be found under Resources.
ACOP vs RMMR/QUM services
Aged care homes can access pharmacist services either through their embedded ACOP or via visiting Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) and QUM services – but not both.
| Feature | On-site Pharmacist | RMMR/QUM Pharmacist |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated member of care team | ✅ | Varies by arrangement |
| Follows up between reviews | ✅ | Limited to claiming rules and visit frequency |
| Leads/joins MAC meetings | ✅ | Varies by arrangement |
| Supports medication transitions | ✅ | Limited to review cycle |
| Leads/supports QUM activities | ✅ | ✅ |
| Conducts medication reviews | ✅ | ✅ |
*On-site pharmacists cannot bill for RMMRs. However, general practitioners may still claim the relevant Medicare item for a medication review if the criteria are met.
How funding works
Funding is based on the number of residents in your aged care home:
| Resident numbers | On-site pharmacist time |
| 1-50 residents | 1 day per week (approximately 7.6 hours) |
| 51-100 residents | 2 days per week (approximately 15.2 hours) |
| 101-150 residents | 3 days per week (approximately 22.6 hours) | 151-200 residents | 4 days per week (approximately 30.4 hours) |
| 201-250 residents | 5 days per week (approximately 38 hours) |
See information from the Pharmacy Programs Administrator under Resources for more details.
How to get started
RACHs can approach a participating community pharmacy of their choice to engage an on-site pharmacist on their behalf.
To participate, on-site pharmacists will complete an Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) accredited aged care on-site pharmacist training program.
NQPHN is available to assist your RACH to engage an eligible on-site pharmacist.
NQPHN's support
NQPHN is here to help aged care homes successfully implement the ACOP program by:
- connecting you with qualified pharmacists or community pharmacies
- guiding you through recruitment and onboarding
- sharing resources and best practice tools
- facilitating collaboration with GPs and other healthcare providers.
Book a meeting with our Aged Care On-site Pharmacist Specialist or get in touch with our Older Persons Health team at ophapc@nqphn.com.au
Frequently asked questions
Participation
Do aged care homes have to take part in the ACOP program?
Participation in the ACOP program is completely voluntary. Your facility can choose whether or not to engage an on-site pharmacist.
Can an aged care home hire an on-site pharmacist directly?
Before hiring an on-site pharmacist directly, your facility should first try to engage one through a community pharmacy of your choice. This step helps ensure good collaboration and options are considered. Please keep a record of this attempt for your records.
Is it necessary to have the electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC) to participate?
No, you don’t need to have the eNRMC in place to start. However, your facility should commit to implementing it within 12 months, and your on-site pharmacist can assist with this process.
How is the amount of ACOP funding determined for our facility?
Funding is based on your aged care home’s total bed capacity, reflecting the number of residents you care for. This determines the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of an on-site pharmacist.
Can we continue to receive pharmacist services through the RMMR or Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) programs if we have an on-site pharmacist?
No. The ACOP program is designed to provide more comprehensive on-site pharmacist services. If you have a government-funded on-site pharmacist, you cannot also receive separate government-funded visiting pharmacist services through RMMR or QUM programs.
Payments and employment
Who receives the salary payments for the on-site pharmacist?
Salary payments are made directly to the on-site pharmacist’s employer, which can be either your aged care home or a partnering community pharmacy.
How does our facility claim payments for the on-site pharmacist’s salary?
Claims are submitted through the PPA portal for the days the pharmacist works on-site at your aged care home.
Can claims be made before our facility is registered and approved in the PPA portal?
No. Your aged care home must be registered and approved in the PPA portal before you can claim salary payments under the program.
Can we employ an on-site pharmacist as casual, permanent, or contract staff?
Yes. You can employ an on-site pharmacist as casual, permanent, or contract staff, as long as the arrangement meets the requirements of the Fair Work Act, any applicable industrial award or agreement, and other relevant employment laws.
If the pharmacist works regular, ongoing hours at the aged care home, the role will usually need to be permanent (full-time or part-time) under the Fair Work Act. Casual arrangements are generally suited to irregular or ad-hoc hours.
Is it possible to have more than one on-site pharmacist?
Yes. If your funding entitles you to more than 0.2 full-time equivalent (FTE), you can engage multiple pharmacists to share the on-site hours.
The ACOP role
What tasks does an on-site pharmacist perform?
While specific duties may vary depending on your facility, all on-site pharmacists follow a standard role description. They maintain a weekly timesheet and activity log to document their work, which your aged care home should keep for auditing purposes.
Does travel time to the facility count as working hours?
No. Only the time the pharmacist spends physically on-site counts toward funded hours. Travel time is not included.
Can the on-site pharmacist provide services via telehealth?
Most activities must be done on-site. However, the pharmacist may participate in virtual Medication Advisory Committee (MAC) meetings.
Can the on-site pharmacist administer immunisations?
This depends on state or territory laws. In some states, pharmacists are allowed to immunise residents directly in aged care homes, while in others, immunisations must be given in a community pharmacy setting. It’s important to check local regulations before planning immunisation services with your on-site pharmacist.
General practitioners
Can GPs still claim for RMMRs?
Yes, if the criteria are met. The on-site pharmacist will often do in-depth reviews that meet the criteria for a GP to claim the relevant Medicare item for a medication review.