James Cook University’s Pharmacy program is experiencing a significant surge in first-year enrolments, reflecting the rapid transformation of the profession and growing recognition of pharmacists as essential frontline healthcare providers, particularly across regional and rural Australia.
Head of Pharmacy Associate Professor John Smithson says enrolments have almost doubled in 2026, with an unprecedented jump to 90 students, signalling a big shift in how students and the broader community view pharmacy as an exciting career path.
“The profession is in a state of change and evolution at the moment,” he says. “It’s becoming an attractive proposition for school leavers as well as people who are in the workforce and looking for career change.
“It represents a very real opportunity for people to transition to a new career where there are excellent prospects of fulfilling and important work for the foreseeable future, where the industry is evolving relatively quickly in a positive direction, which means there’s going to be high degrees of work satisfaction, lots of opportunities and high demand.”
Diverse and flexible career pathways
One of the key reasons behind the program’s enrolment growth is the diversity of career pathways now available to graduates.
Pharmacy offers a rare combination of clinical practice, business ownership, public health engagement, and research opportunities.
“It’s a unique blend of healthcare, management and retail skills,” Associate Prof Smithson says.
“You can have a clinical career in hospitals or community practice, a career in management, or own pharmacies and become a business owner. It presents a broad spectrum of opportunity for people... all while having direct patient contact.”
Regional training driving workforce outcomes
JCU’s regional delivery model is another major factor contributing to the program’s growing appeal. With campuses in Townsville, Cairns and Mackay, students can train close to home, an approach proven to strengthen long-term workforce retention in northern Australia.
“When we train pharmacists in the north, in place, they stay in the north,” Associate Prof Smithson says.
“All our Mackay graduates have stayed in Mackay. They get trained in Cairns; they stay in Cairns. They get trained in Townsville; they stay in Townsville.”
This local training pipeline is critical to addressing persistent healthcare workforce shortages in regional communities, where access to primary care continues to be a challenge.
“The demand for health services outstrips supply by a significant margin in regional Australia. Training local students locally is how we generate workforce for those communities.”
From local experience to career pathway
Among the new cohort contributing to this year’s enrolment growth is first-year student Livinia Brauer, who grew up in the small Far North Queensland town of Tully and has commenced her studies in Cairns.
After six years working in her local community pharmacy, she says the decision to pursue the degree was grounded in lived experience.
“I chose Pharmacy as a career after working in my local community pharmacy for the past six years,” she says. “I quickly developed a strong passion for it. Through this experience I learned firsthand the important role a pharmacist plays in enhancing patient health, offering trusted advice and assisting the community on a daily basis.”
Choosing JCU for regional connection
For Livinia, JCU’s regional focus made the choice clear.
“JCU was an obvious choice for me as it serves rural and remote students, offers relevant clinical knowledge and teaches the professional skills to become a pharmacist with a trusted reputation,” she says. “Studying Pharmacy in Cairns means joining a close-knit community with strong connections between fellow students, pharmacists and local pharmacies.”
Her aspirations reflect the broader shift within the profession toward expanded, patient-centred care.
“I aspire to become a knowledgeable and approachable pharmacist who consistently makes positive impacts on patient health. I hope to make a difference and create relationships with the community, beyond just dispensing medication. Taking the time to listen and guide patients, offer support and assist in handling the health and wellbeing of all.”
National leadership and reputation
JCU Pharmacy’s national leadership in prescribing education and expanded scope of training has also contributed to the program’s strong reputation, helping to position it as one of the country’s leading pharmacy schools.
“We’re considered the gold standard program in Australia for pharmacist prescribing, and the recognition of that has helped with the undergraduate course as well,” Associate Prof Smithson says. “What students see is institutional reputation, and pharmacy’s reputation at JCU is very high — with students, industry partners and the community.”
Expanding scope of pharmacy practice
Today, pharmacists are increasingly involved in services that extend beyond traditional dispensing roles, including vaccinations, prescribing for acute and chronic conditions, medication reviews, chronic disease support, and preventative healthcare initiatives.
These expanded responsibilities are not only reshaping the profession but also strengthening healthcare systems, particularly in underserved regions.
“Pharmacy with our General Practice colleagues has been the backbone of primary care in regional, rural and remote Australia,” Associate Prof Smithson says.
“What pharmacy has done is identify those checkpoints in the healthcare delivery system where pharmacists can add value and take pressure off limited resources.”
A profession with purpose and future demand
As pharmacy’s role continues to expand across Australia’s healthcare landscape, Associate Prof Smithson believes the profession offers students both professional security and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
“It’s an exciting time for the profession,” he says.
“You can do one of the best pharmacy degrees in the country right here in regional Australia, and as we produce these excellent graduates and they stay locally, what we expect to see is the level of healthcare rise for those communities.”