Common complaints we receive

What does the data show 

There were 11,489 registered pharmacists in NSW in 2024–25. During that period, we received 415 complaints about 359 registered practitioners. This represents 3.12% of all registered pharmacists in NSW. 

Most complaints in the 2024–25 reporting year were about medication (254 complaints). The next most common issue was communication (27 complaints). 

These patterns are similar to previous years. 

We look at complaint trends to help us see issues that may affect public safety. This supports our work to promote safe, high-quality care. Even though medication issues are the largest group, the overall rate of complaints remains low compared to the number of registered practitioners. 

There were also 2,583 registered pharmacy students in NSW and we received 3 complaints about them. Complaints about students are rare, but they do occur. 

Read our 2024–25 Annual Report download