Australia has risen as one of the prime destinations for healthcare professionals, specifically pharmacists. Australia offers great opportunities for international pharmacists due to its high education standards and healthcare system. You need to get AHPRA registration to work as a pharmacist in Australia.

This blog guides you through the step-by-step process of AHPRA registration for pharmacists. Learn about the OPRA ( formerly called KAPS) exam, its eligibility criteria and registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia.

AHPRA is the regulatory body responsible for the oversight of health professions, such as pharmacists, with the support of 15 national boards.

For pharmacists, AHPRA collaborates with the Pharmacy Board of Australia, guaranteeing that only competent and qualified people practice. A national Register of Pharmacists, in which all authorised practitioners are required to be listed, is kept by the board.

OPRA is the short form of Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment, which was earlier referred to as the KAPS Exam. Administered by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC), it is the principal tool to assess the knowledge of pharmacists from abroad.

If you have obtained your pharmacy education outside Australia and New Zealand, you will require:

• Get your qualifications evaluated by APC

• Complete the OPRA/KAPS exam

• Do internships in Australia

• Register with AHPRA as a registered pharmacist.

Step 1: Qualification Testing

Register through the Australian Pharmacy Council to check your educational qualifications. You will require:

• Degree certificate

• Transcript

• English language skills (IELTS/PTE/OET)

Step 2: Study for the OPRA Exam

Use the official OPRA exam syllabus, take coaching, and study from OPRA exam prep books.

Step 3: Sit for the OPRA (KAPS) Exam

The exam is conducted several times a year at various centres all around the world, including India.

Step 4: Work Experience in Australia

Upon passing the exam, you will have to finish a supervised pharmacy internship.

Step 5: Final AHPRA Registration

Upon internship success, submit to register as a pharmacist with AHPRA.

Key Facts:

• Test Mode: Online (Computer-based)

• Sections: 2 (Pharmaceutical Science and Practice of Pharmacy)

• Marks: 100 per paper

• Passing Marks: 50 per paper (OPRA passing score)

• Type of Question: MCQ, Based on RASCH methodology

Summary of Examination Content

• Pharmaceutical Chemistry

• Pharmaceutics

• Clinical Pharmacy

• Pharmacology

Tentative OPRA/KAPS Exam Dates for 2025

• March 2025

• June 2025

• September 2025

• December 2025

Visit the official APC website to obtain the exact OPRA exam schedule 2025, deadlines for applications, and eligibility requirements.

1. Sign up for APC's Candidate Portal

2. Present the documents needed

3. Pay the exam and documentation fees.

4. Select your OPRA exam centre in India or elsewhere.

OPRA/KAPS Examination Fees (2025)

Note: Conversion rates are variable. Check current rates.

The Australia OPRA exam syllabus is segmented into:

• Paper 1: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology

• Paper 2: Clinical Pharmacy, Therapeutics, Pharmacy Practice

• Each paper is 2 hours long

• Held in two sessions (Morning and Afternoon)

Recommended OPRA Examination Books

• Pharmaceutical Calculations by Howard C. Ansel

• Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology by James M. Ritter

• Develop a thorough 3–6 month OPRA exam preparation schedule.

• Solve previous OPRA exam questions.

• Enrol in a well-known OPRA coaching centre

• Understand the OPRA exam eligibility requirements.

• Practice the OPRA test online through mock papers.

Once you've passed the OPRA exam, you must then finish a pharmacy internship:

• Duration: 1 year (full-time)

• Done under the authority of a registered pharmacist

• Needs enrollment in an Intern Training Program (ITP)

• Comprises a written exam and an oral exam

This is a prerequisite for pharmacy registration in Australia.

Upon finishing the internship:

• Register with general registration under AHPRA

• Present your training records and proof of having passed the intern exam

• Get your licence as a registered pharmacist in Australia

• Pass certificate for the OPRA/KAPS exam

• Internship Completion Letter

• English proficiency test (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/OET)

• APC-approved documents

If you are relocating to New Zealand, much of the OPRA exam New Zealand route is the same. Contact the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand for specific eligibility. AU and NZ mainly have the same criteria, but they have different regulatory bodies.