OBJECTIVES: 1) To evaluate the types of disease management program provided by community pharmacy in Australia; 2)To examine existing pharmaceutical care activities in diabetes management; and 3) to assess perceived barriers for implementation of diabetes risk assessment service in community pharmacy. METHODS: A self-administered survey using s structured questionnaire was conducted from October 2011 to January 2012 to collect data from community pharmacies in the states of Victoria and Queensland. RESULTS: The total responses numbered 114, representing a 5.7% overall response rate. 111 respondents (97.4%) reported having existing disease management programs in their practice. The three main types of disease management program were hypertension management (66%), diabetes management (58.4%) and weight management (54%). Approximately 85% of respondents were interested in providing risk assessment service for chronic disease. There was no statistically significant difference between branded pharmacy and independent pharmacy in providing  pharmaceutical care activities in diabetes management with  patient counselling (32.1%) and diabetes supplies (31.1%) being the two most common activities . Only 12.7% and 8.9% provided blood glucose monitoring and awareness program for diabetes respectively.  Lacking of standard guideline and awareness of risk assessment services, shortage of qualified staffs and no extra remuneration were perceived as major barriers for implementation of diabetes risk assessment service in community pharmacy. A sum between AUD10 and AUD50 was suggested as the required remuneration rate for community pharmacy to provide this service. CONCLUSIONS: The survey results would imply that most Australian community pharmacies did provide disease management programs. Most common activities, however, were focusing in secondary prevention. Several identified barriers to establishing diabetes risk assessment services should be addressed to encourage community pharmacists in expanding their practice role in chronic disease management through primary prevention.  This would potentially be more cost-effective and deliver improved health outcomes.