PHARMACYPRACTICE Advanced practice: a survey of current perspectives of Australian pharmacists Shane Jackson 1 , Grant Martin 2 , Jennifer Bergin 3 , Bronwyn Clark 4 , Peter Halstead 4 , Debra Rowett 4 , Ieva Stupans 5 , Kirstie Galbraith 5 , Gilbert Yeates 6 , Lisa Nissen 1 , Stephen Marty 7 , Paul Gysslink 8 , Sue Kirsa 9 , Ian Coombes 9 , Andrew Matthews 10 , Kerry Deans 11 , Kay Sorimachi 1 1 Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Deakin, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 2 Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy, Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 3 Australian College of Pharmacy, Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 4 Australian Pharmacy Council, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 5 Council of Pharmacy Schools: Australia and New Zealand Inc., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 6 Pharmaceutical Defence Limited, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia 7 Pharmacy Board of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 8 Professional Pharmacists Australia, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 9 The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia 10 The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 11 Advanced Pharmacy Practice, Framework Steering Committee Abstract Background: An Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework for Australia (the ‘APPF’) was published in October 2012. Further to the release of the APPF, the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework Steering Committee planned to develop an advanced practice recognition model for Australian pharmacists. Aim: To gauge the perspectives of the pharmacy profession relating to advanced practice, via an online survey, in order to inform the design of the model. Method: A survey was developed and administered to Australian pharmacists through SurveyMonkey. The survey content was based on findings from a review of national and international initiatives for recognition of advanced practice in pharmacy and other health disci- plines, including medicine and nursing. Results: The results of the survey showed that a high proportion of respondents considered they were already working at, or working towards achieving, an advanced level of practice. The responses relating to the assessment methods showed a clear preference for ‘sub- mission of a professional portfolio’.A ‘written examination’ had low level of support and in relation to an ‘oral examination by a panel’ there was a marked preference for a panel of multidisciplinary health professionals over a panel of pharmacists. Conclusion: The survey outcomes will inform the development of an advanced pharmacy practice recognition model for Australian phar- macists, particularly in relation to the assessment methods. Survey outcomes also demonstrated that there is scope to further enhance the application of the APPF in the development and recognition of advanced practitioners, and to build greater awareness of the breadth of competencies encompassed by ‘advanced practice’. Keywords: advanced practice, pharmacy, competency, standards, framework. INTRODUCTION The Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework Steering Committee (APPFSC) is a profession-wide collaborative forum which works on behalf of the profession in order to develop and disseminate national competency stan- dards-related initiatives among pharmacists, focussing on advanced level competencies. The committee includes representatives from all Australian top order pharmacy bodies (see author list) and was established in March 2011 Address for correspondence: Dr Shane Jackson, Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework Steering Committee, PO Box 42, Deakin West, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia E-mail: shane.jackson@utas.edu.au The Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework Steering Committee (APPFSC) transitioned to become the Pharmacy Practitioner Develop- ment Committee (PPDC) in July 2014. © 2015 Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (2015) 45,1–7 doi: 10.1002/jppr.1097