Some Pharmacists Find Better Balance in New Zealand

Over the past 2 years, more US pharmacists contacting us here in New Zealand have said some version of the same thing: "I still love pharmacy. I just don't know if I can keep doing it here."

The data support that feeling. About 73% of practicing pharmacists in the US rated their workload as "high" or "excessively high" in 2024, up from 66% a decade earlier.¹ A systematic review found that more than half—51%—of pharmacists are experiencing burnout, with high prescription volumes, excessive workload, poor work-life balance, and staffing shortages among the leading causes.² A 2025 report from the American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy acknowledged what many pharmacists already know: The profession has been at a breaking point.³

When pharmacists feel stretched beyond what is sustainable, the conversation often starts with one bad shift, one understaffed store, or one near-miss that should never have happened. But for many, it becomes a bigger question: Is there another way to do this work and still have a life?

For some US pharmacists, New Zealand is becoming a place where that question is being explored in real life.

Same Profession, Different Context

New Zealand is not a perfect system. We have our own pressures: a nationwide pharmacist shortage, rural access challenges, an aging population, and the same demands of an increasingly complex medication environment. Pharmacists who move here are not stepping into an easy role.

What many do notice, though, is a different starting point. New Zealand has over 200 unfilled pharmacy positions across the country, which means overseas-qualified pharmacists are not just filling a vacancy—they are genuinely needed.⁴

The registration pathway for US-trained pharmacists is well defined: most PharmD degrees come under the Recognized Equivalent. The Qualification Route (REQR) through the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand and recruitment agencies provides support with jobs, visas, and settlement.

There is also a stronger public conversation in New Zealand about workload, safe staffing, and pharmacist well-being. That does not mean every pharmacist feels fully supported every day. But it does mean these issues are raised and heard.

What Pharmacists Say Feels Different

When I speak with US-trained pharmacists now working in New Zealand, they do not begin with salary. They talk about 3 things: predictability, proximity, and permission.

They talk about predictability because rosters are more stable, and the unrelenting pace of retail chain pharmacies—hundreds of scripts a day, inadequate staffing, and impossible performance metrics—is less common here. Pharmacists still work hard, but many describe a work pattern that feels more manageable and less chaotic.

They talk about proximity because commutes are shorter and time off is genuinely easier to protect. One pharmacist told me, "For the first time in years, I finished a shift and actually had energy left." Recovery time matters; burnout is not only about what happens during a shift, but also whether you have time to recover before the next one.

And they talk about permission. Several describe the difference as cultural: They feel more able to flag a concern, say "This isn't safe," or advocate for a patient without assuming they will be dismissed or disciplined for it.

Overseas as an Alternative to Leaving Pharmacy

From a US perspective, it is easy to see international moves as a loss to the domestic workforce. But when so many pharmacists are already thinking about leaving the profession or have already left, the alternative is not always to stay in the same chain. Sometimes it is to leave patient-facing practice entirely.

What we see in New Zealand is often not a short-term adventure but a whole-of-life move.

Pharmacists ask practical questions: Can my partner work? What will life look like for my children? How will my PharmD and US experience be recognized? Is there a path into hospital, specialist, or clinical leadership roles? How long will registration take, and what support will I have settling in?

Those are not travel questions. They are sustainability questions.

What This Means for Pharmacists

If you are a US pharmacist quietly wondering whether you can keep doing this in your current setting, it may help to know that there are other systems where pharmacy can feel different—not easier, exactly, but more sustainable.

And if you are considering an international move, look beyond salary and job title. Ask about staffing culture, prescription volume expectations, support with registration, professional development opportunities, and whether you will have room to recover as well as perform.

For many pharmacists, the real question is no longer whether they should leave. It is, “Where can I keep being the pharmacist I trained to be?”

REFERENCES

1. Mott DA, Bakken BK, Nadi S, et al. Final report of the 2024 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey. Pharmacy Workforce Center. 2024. https://www.aacp.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/2024-npws-final-report-5.27.25.pdf

2. Dee J, Dhuhaibawi N, Hayden JC. A systematic review and pooled prevalence of burnout in pharmacists. Int J Clin Pharm. 2023;45(5):1027-1036. doi:10.1007/s11096-022-01520-6

3. Implementing solutions 2.0: building a sustainable, healthy pharmacy workforce and workplace. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Implementing-Solutions-2.0-Report.pdf

4. Hulbert T. Pharmacists moving to New Zealand: your complete guide to jobs, visas, and registration. Kiwi American. January 5, 2026. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://www.kiwiamericans.com/blog/pharmacists-moving-to-new-zealand-your-complete-guide-to-jobs-visas-and-registration