bazness Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Hi, I am a UK Pharmacist and moving to Victoria in June/July. I have already passed the CAOP exam and the next step is to complete a 152 hour (over 4 weeks) supervised placement. I am finding it very difficult in finding a placement. Is there anyone on PIO who has completed the APC process and could give me some contacts who may be interested in offering me a placement? I am on a 176 visa and will be moving to the SE suburbs (looking at Mornington peninsula, and SE coastal areas) and will be willing to travel upto an hour for a placement as I am desperate! I have e-mailed the large companies, but havent received any replies! I am currently a Pharmacist manager in the UK, but will be willing to accept a placement in hospital pharmacy too if I am unable to secure a placement in retail pharmacy. Any help or information would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you Vanessa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Hi Vanessa We have had two clients come over who have been in exactly the same position as you. None of the companies seemed interested and there only way to get a foot in the door was to take on a sales position in a pharmacy and then once they had proved themselves they managed to get themselves the supervised position and from there both ended up working there full time. I even had one Russian family offer to pay them to allow his wife to gain the 152 hours and this didn't work but they were so desperate. You may have better luck once you are here, if not drop me a pm and I can put you in touch with these people and hopefully they can help. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazness Posted April 26, 2010 Author Share Posted April 26, 2010 Hi Kate, Thank you for your reply! Once we arrive in Australia (18th June!!) I will probably have to go round the Pharmacies with my CV and try to beg for a placement!! Thank you for you advice and I will be in touch if i continue to have problems once we arrive in Australia! Vanessa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mjmm Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 hi Vanessa, I'm also a pharmacist & planning to move to melbourne with my family next August. I heard about those supervised training hours & that we have to go personally for that job. I hope we can be in contact to try to pass this tough period, hopefully to succeed ) mail me at anytime : ma_akm@hotmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middlecat Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 hi all, any update on finding the supervised practice? We arrive in Nov and my wife needs to get her practice out of the way....is there an option to work for free maybe? thank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MrsNorbo Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Hi Vanessa, I'm moving over to Melbourne in April. How you getting on getting a supervised practice post? I'm not doing my CAOP until March and would love any help/advice. Keep me posted on how you are getting on. I'm heading out for a month in November and was just going to go around some pharmacies and try to secure a place for April/May. Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ver Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Just giving this a quick bump. my wife will be in a similar situation and will look to take the exams in March, so will be in the same boat. Just wondering if there had been any update to any of you guys? Be interested to know how easy/difficult it is and to share experiences. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lisiejc Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Hi, I am a UK hospital pharmacist with 17 years experience planning to sit the CAOP in March. I am just about to send off for the australian pharmaceutical handbook aand formulary and australian medical handbook. Are these books similar to our BNF, or any other UK books?. Would you recommend any other text? I'm not strong on calculations.Then there is the next step the supervised practice. Can anyone advice on this .?We are looking to probably move to 'sunshine coast' or Wagga Wagga (NSW) due to visa restrictions (475). Other than sending my CV to hospitals has anyone any advice. Would locum agencies help with supervise practice and then leading onto something more long term. What about community pharmacies? I have emailed the Australian pharmacy board several times and they don't seem to reply. Thanks, Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CraigandZoe Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 hi all, any update on finding the supervised practice? We arrive in Nov and my wife needs to get her practice out of the way....is there an option to work for free maybe? thank Has to be paid mate. It stipulates that it must be 4 weeks paid. Hey all. My wife is a hospital pharmacist and is currently very close to being offered a job (which will include her 4 weeks placement). We have been out in Oz for five weeks now. She had one interview before we came out but that's it. No one seemed iterested with people who are not in the country, they want people who can start quickly. We are also finding in Brisbane, state hospital places are being fiercely contested for at the moment. They come with a comparable rate of pay to a private hospital but have numerous benifits on top, including a higher rate of super. I am sure she can try to help answer other peoples questions. If anyone would like to PM me with specific questions then please do. I will pass them on and she can get back to you as soon as possible. Best of luck to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarolineB Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi Kris I too am taking my CAOP exam in march and am in Melbourne. Has anyone given you any advice regarding the exam and what would be good texts to read. I have contacted the APC and they are not very helpful. Does anyone else who has taken the CAOP exam have any advice as to what might be a good idea to study in preparation? I would be grateful for any advice as I feel a little 'lost' without any direction to successfully pass the exam! Many thanks Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarolineB Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi Vanessa, Our family has just moved to Melbourne- we are living in Bentleigh- not far from the mornington penisula, I was wondering if you could give me any advice regarding the CAOP exam? I am due to take it in March. I hope you found a placement ok. Many thanks Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lisiejc Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi, I'm hoping to sit the exam in London. I have been trying to get hold of pharmaceutical calculation books and I have the pathology and therapeutic for pharmacists book and I have sent off for the australian pharmaceutical formulary (very expensive ) and now the australian medicine handbook.That is all I was going to use. Would value peoples advise who have done the exam. Caroline-what are work opportunities like in Melbourne? Thanks Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ver Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Work ops are different to the uk. I don't think sponsorship is a route anymore? So most like you guys I presume are going the skills or with partner/family route? Most pharmacies here are run as franchises I believe by independents. They sell everything, my only comparison is that they are like what 'chemists' where 10 years ago? In Melbourne they have their pharmacy school so many come straight from there and fill jobs quickly. I agree those texts you have bought are typically ones you need from what I've researched in fact I'll need to get one soon. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarolineB Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Hi lisa, I'm not too sure about job opportunities yet but it does seem that you need to be here in OZ before they will look at your CV. I sent mine to quite a few pharmacies before we came out , most did not reply and the one that did basically said contact me when you are qualified and out here! There are so many pharmacies around that I have to believe there are spots open, I'm going to pop into my local this week to ask them about taking me on for the supervised period/jobs - i'll let you know how I get on. Have you had any guidance as to the CAOP exam? or are you going to just read the suggested texts/practice calculations? Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MrsNorbo Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hey Caroline, I haven't heard an awful lot about it apart from it was very clinical, but this was from someone that had just worked in community. I still don't have all of my forms sent off yet so think it'll be too late to take the exam in March - seemingly they are also doing an exam in London in April so hopefully I'll be able to help you out then. I am moving over to Melbourne on 17th May and have already managed to sort out my supervised practise in a hospital. How have you been getting on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steen1976 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 We went to Sydney in 2005 on a WHV. My wife had to secure a 4 week placement (exam was at the end of that). She visited probably somewhere between 60-70 pharmacies in person to hand in a CV etc. Eventually after three weeks or so she got one unpaid but that was fine. It was absoltely soul destroying for her though having come from the UK where she was never short of work as a locum. Worst thing was she was offered one immediately at a place in The Rocks but one of her friends had worked there and said not to as she was a nightmare to work for. If we'd known how long it was going to take she would have put up with that! She's secured sponsorship to go back again but with a place she worked at while on the WHV. Worst thing was she allowed her registration to lapse a year before. The board have decided she still has to work 4 weeks supervised before practicing on her own. No exam though thankfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarolineB Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 hi MrsNorbo , thanks for the advice about it being quite clinical - i'd better get the BNF/AMH out and start reading up ! wow, its good you have got a placement already, they are hard to come across. Did you contact hospitals directly or did you know someone? I'm finding community pharmacies aren't too helpful and havn't got a placement yet. I've only got a few more weeks till I take my exam and must say I feel terribly unprepared, no-one seems to be able to give any advice.... If there is anyone in the forum that has taken the CAOP I'd be grateful if you could offer some wise words about the exam... I'll let you know how I get on MrsNorbo Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarolineB Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 ive been talking to my local community pharmacists and they are all saying that jobs are few and far between at the moment. The graduates have just qualified so now is a bad time to look for a job as there are so many newly qualified looking for jobs. April time is supposed to be less competeative, but most of the jobs will have been filled.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jellymonster Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Hi, I sat the CAOP exam last March. It is very clinical but most of the answers can be found in the BNF or the AMH. The only problem was the timing. There is literally 90 seconds per question and although it's multiple choice, the answer is not immediately obvious. There is a really good albeit very long thread at APEC (Pharmacy) CAOP exam - StudyConnect.com Forum with loads of advice and discussion about the CAOP. I'm moving to Melbourne in March and have been lucky enough in finding employment by applying for one of the hospital pharmacist jobs on the SHPA website (http://www.shpa.org.au). I'm not sure what the situation is like in community pharmacy though. Best of luck with the exam and if there's anything else I can help with, let me know, Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Woundwort Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Hello to every one who has posted along this thread. I am a UK registered pharmacist looking to moving to either Victoria or Tasmania in about a years time. I am applying for a visa through partner migration so I'm not to worried about the skills assesment for that kind of thing. I have just sent off my APC assesment form, but haven't heard back from them yet. I just wanted to know how you all got on with getting your supervised practices. I can't really afford to be out of work for too long so was hoping that I could arrange it from here before I left, but by the sounds of it this does not seem likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarolineB Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 hi laura, thank you so much for the link to the other forum, its been sooo helpful/scared me to death!! i think i need to do some serious reading/familiarizing with the AMH! do you know if the pass rate is as bad as they made out? do you know if there are any passpapers out there? If I can help in anyway, me being here in melbourne already let me know, or email me at caroline.barraclough@gmail.com thanks again caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ver Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 My wife is in a similar situation. We are in Melbourne too and she lucky enough to not need to work just yet. She has been trying to get her paperwork from the society mailed to the aus equivalent here. It's been a real challenge in that itself to get registered here. Then the next bit would be to go through exams. I follow this thread and I try not to worry her too much as it seems pretty tough. So much easier in the uk for you guys. Once she has our boys settled in school I think she will concentrate on the study and getting registered. Then the job itself. Are there any last papers? I think it would be helpful to know! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jellymonster Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hi, I don't think it's possible to get any past papers. When I asked APC, they just referred me to the sample paper on their website. I know the studyconnect link I posted earlier has people trying to remember as many questions as possible having sat the exam and also what topics have come up in the essay style question. That was as close as I could get to past papers. I don't think the pass rate is as bad as they make out- I know two other people who passed it first time around (UK and Irish qualified) and although it's not easy, it's not totally impossible either. Just know where to find the info quickly in the AMH and APF. The whole process is long, slow and expensive! Hoping it'll be worth it in the end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lisiejc Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Hi, Does anyone have any email addresses for pharmacy locum agencies in Australia (particularly Victoria).Does anyone have any experience of locum work and how easy it is to find. I have contacted an agency in Victoria who says work is difficult to find especially if I have to ask if it can incorporate the 152 hours of supervised practice. Thanks, Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frances62 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Hi all, Just been reading some of the posts about jobs for pharmacists (or lack of as the case maybe). My hubby and I are about to lodge our 175 visa, he's a software developer and the main applicant and I'm a UK pharmacist. I know we've got a long wait ahead for the visa but Im already stressing about my job situation as it seems from what I've read (and heard) jobs/supervised practice placements are thin on the ground!! Trying to be optimistic but have a nagging feeling everything may be in vain because if I don't find a job we'll have to return to the UK. Anyway, just wanted to wish you all Good Luck with job hunting/impending exams! Frances x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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