- How long it takes
- 6 to 9 months
- full time at TAFE NSW
- What it costs
- From $2,130
- Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $7,330
- How you can study
- Online, on campus or a mix
- Main job
- Pharmacy Assistant
- $57,800 median pay
- Taught by
- 3 providers
- NSW, VIC
Is this course right for you?
What the Certificate III in Community Pharmacy asks of you, and what you might want to check first.
It helps to have
- an interest in helping people with everyday health needs
- good communication skills for serving customers
- a careful approach to supplying and recording medicines
- an interest in learning about pharmacy products
Before you start
There are no entry requirements for this qualification.
Certificate III or Certificate II?
This is the higher level qualification. It trains you to work with some independence while still under the supervising pharmacist, and some pharmacy assistants may assist with a limited range of dispensary activities.
See the courseWhere this course can take you
Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.
Jobs you can do with it
Pharmacy Assistant
Pharmacy assistants serve customers and prepare prescriptions in a pharmacy, working the counter, the dispensary and the stockroom while the pharmacist makes the clinical calls.
What else you need
Pharmacy assistant duties ultimately under the supervising pharmacist, within trained activities and medicine-supply rules. This is not pharmacist registration.
Median pay$57,800
If you study further
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A step towards work as a, median pay $101,700.
Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.
What it costs
Subsidised place
From $2,130
at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.
Paying the full fee
$6,182 to $7,330
across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.
| TAFE | State | Subsidised | Concession | Full fee | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAFE NSW | NSW | $2,130 | $240 | $7,330 | 6 to 9 months |
| Chisholm Institute | VIC | $3,102 | $621 | $6,182 |
TAFE NSWNSW
- Subsidised
- $2,130
- Concession
- $240
- Full fee
- $7,330
- How long
- 6 to 9 months
Chisholm InstituteVIC
- Subsidised
- $3,102
- Concession
- $621
- Full fee
- $6,182
Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.
Where you can study this course
There are 3 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.
- Course page for TAFE NSW (opens in a new tab)
TAFE NSW
5 campuses, NSW
4.0from 2,410 Google reviews
- How you study
- On campus
- How long
- 6 to 9 months
- Fee
- From $2,130 subsidised
What students like
- Teachers are supportive and ready to help
- Staff are helpful and friendly
- Course content is practical and industry relevant
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
- Some find front desk staff less helpful
- Course page for Just Training (opens in a new tab)
Just Training
2 campuses, NSW
4.7from 521 Google reviews
- How you study
- Online or on campus
- How long
- 3 to 12 months
What students like
- Trainers are friendly, knowledgeable and explain things clearly
- Courses are practical and easy to understand
- Staff are friendly and helpful
- Course page for Chisholm Institute (opens in a new tab)
Chisholm Institute
Dandenong, VIC
3.6from 676 Google reviews
- How you study
- A mix
- How long
- 6 months
- Fee
- From $3,102 subsidised
What you’ll learn
19 units: 11 that everyone takes and 8 you choose.
- Serving pharmacy customers
- Assisting with prescriptions
- Supplying scheduled medicines
- Infection control practices
- Cough, cold and allergy products
- Skin, stomach and pain relief
See all 11 core units
Core units
Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.
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Questions to ask before you enrol
Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.
- When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
- What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
- Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
- Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?
Questions people ask
Who is this qualification for?
It prepares you to work as a pharmacy assistant in a community pharmacy, serving customers and recommending products for everyday health problems. You learn how prescriptions are received and prepared for the pharmacist to check, and how medicines are supplied and recorded under pharmacy law. You work with some independence but under the supervising pharmacist.
Do I need experience or other qualifications first?
The qualification itself has no entry requirements. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.
How is it different from Certificate II in Community Pharmacy?
This is the higher level qualification. It trains you to work with some independence while still under the supervising pharmacist, and some pharmacy assistants may assist with a limited range of dispensary activities.