In a quiet consultation room at the back of a suburban pharmacy, a patient unfolds a letter from a telehealth doctor. She has been prescribed medicinal cannabis for chronic pain, but she isn’t sure how to use it safely - or whether it will interact with her existing medications. The pharmacist steps in, calmly navigating regulations, counselling points, and the reality that medicinal cannabis looks nothing like the standard prescriptions they dispense every day.
Scenes like this have become increasingly common across Australia. As medicinal cannabis moves rapidly into the mainstream, pharmacists are discovering that their role is expanding just as quickly - opening the door to new responsibilities, new skills, and entirely new career pathways.
A Sector Growing Faster Than Many Expected
Since regulatory changes in 2016 first allowed controlled access to medicinal cannabis, Australia’s market has steadily matured. The TGA’s Special Access Scheme - particularly SAS-B - has seen a steep rise in applications year on year.
The result? Medicinal cannabis has shifted from a niche therapy to a routine (albeit complex) part of modern pharmacy practice.
For community pharmacists, this shift isn’t just regulatory - it’s cultural. Patients now arrive with prescriptions from online clinics, questions about oil vs flower products, concerns about driving laws, and assumptions shaped by social media rather than clinical evidence. Pharmacists have become the final checkpoint for safety, quality use of medicines, and navigating expectations.
But beyond the dispensary, a new landscape of career opportunities is emerging.
New Clinical Roles Are Taking Shape
The growth of medicinal cannabis has generated practice settings that didn’t exist a decade ago. Australian pharmacists are increasingly finding themselves involved in:
1. Specialised Cannabis Clinics
These clinics - run either in person or via telehealth - often employ pharmacists for roles such as:
treatment consultations alongside prescribers
medicine selection advisory support
dose titration guidance
adverse event reporting
patient education
Pharmacists are valued for their pharmacokinetic expertise and ability to translate therapeutic decisions into practical, safe use.
2. Cannabis-Focused Dispensaries
A small but growing number of pharmacies now specialise in medicinal cannabis dispensing. These teams typically require:
advanced knowledge of product categories
comfort with high counselling loads
rigorous documentation and monitoring
confidence managing complex patient histories
These environments often suit pharmacists who enjoy deep clinical engagement and high-touch patient support.
3. Telehealth Partnerships
Telehealth cannabis prescribers frequently collaborate with pharmacists who can:
review medication histories
recommend appropriate formulations
liaise with prescribers on titration plans
provide remote counselling to patients
This hybrid model is creating more flexible roles, especially for pharmacists seeking remote or work-from-home opportunities - something increasingly attractive across the profession.
4. Pharmacovigilance & Clinical Advisory Roles
As medicinal cannabis use increases, so does the need for:
adverse event reporting specialists
research assistants in cannabinoid therapeutics
clinical advisors for healthcare organisations and startups
quality and compliance officers for medicinal cannabis manufacturers
These roles lean on scientific training and are appealing to pharmacists wanting a pathway into medical affairs or regulatory environments.
Skills Pharmacists Now Need in Cannabis Care
While medicinal cannabis is not “just another prescription”, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to manage its risks and therapeutic complexities.
Key competencies now emerging as essential include:
Regulatory Literacy
Understanding:
TGA pathways (SAS-B, Authorised Prescribers)
state/territory storage requirements
documentation and record-keeping obligations
driving and impairment laws
This regulatory foundation ensures pharmacists protect both patients and themselves.
Cannabinoid Pharmacology
With more than 300 cannabis products available in Australia, distinguishing between:
THC vs CBD ratios
oral vs inhaled products
onset, duration, and cumulative effects
potential interactions (e.g., CNS depressants, anticoagulants)
is becoming a core component of safe practice.
Patient Counselling Skills
Pharmacists must confidently guide patients through:
dose titration (“start low, go slow”)
administration methods
onset expectations
managing side effects
avoiding unsafe driving
identifying red flags that require medical review
This counselling responsibility is one of the most significant differentiators between routine dispensing and cannabis care.
Clinical Problem-Solving
Patients prescribed medicinal cannabis often have:
chronic, multi-system health conditions
complex medication regimens
concurrent use of opioids, benzodiazepines, or antidepressants
unmet expectations fuelled by online marketing
Pharmacists’ critical thinking is essential to managing risk while supporting safe therapeutic decisions.
What This Means for Pharmacy Careers
Medicinal cannabis represents one of the most significant new practice areas in decades, and its growth offers pharmacists a chance to diversify their careers in ways the traditional community model has not always supported.
Emerging opportunities include:
Lead cannabis pharmacist roles in specialised pharmacies
Clinical consultant positions with multidisciplinary clinics
Cannabinoid medicine educators for health organisations
Industry roles with licensed producers (regulatory, QA, pharmacovigilance)
Remote clinical support for telehealth providers
Research roles in cannabinoid therapeutics and patient outcomes
For early-career pharmacists, cannabis care offers a unique chance to build expertise in a young, rapidly evolving therapeutic field. For mid-career pharmacists seeking change, it provides a clinical niche with real growth potential.
At Raven’s Recruitment, many pharmacists exploring alternative career paths now ask about roles connected to medicinal cannabis - reflecting broader interest in clinical diversity, flexible work, and future-ready skillsets.
Why Pharmacists Are Central to the Future of Cannabis Care
Despite the rapid rise of medicinal cannabis, one constant remains: pharmacists are the medicines experts.
Their role sits at the intersection of:
clinical safety
therapeutic evidence
regulatory responsibility
patient trust
Unlike prescribers who may see a patient once, pharmacists often support them over months or years - monitoring changes, identifying risks, and providing continuity of care.
As medicinal cannabis becomes more widely used across Australia, pharmacists’ expertise will increasingly determine whether these therapies are used safely, effectively, and ethically.
Conclusion: A New Clinical Frontier Is Taking Shape
The growth of medicinal cannabis is reshaping what it means to be a pharmacist in Australia. From specialised clinics to telehealth collaborations and industry roles, cannabis care is opening up career pathways that were unimaginable a decade ago.
For pharmacists willing to build new skills and embrace emerging clinical territory, the opportunities are significant - and still expanding.
How might cannabis care shape the next chapter of your pharmacy career?
