Pharmacy

Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (ACPA)

This site provides information about the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority and how a pharmacist can apply for approval to supply pharmaceutical benefits at particular premises.

The Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (ACPA) is an independent statutory authority established under section 99J of the National Health Act 1953 (the Act).

The ACPA has six part-time members, five of whom are appointed by the Minister for Health and Ageing (the Minister) and one appointed by the Secretary to the Department of Health and Ageing (the Secretary).

The role of the ACPA is to consider applications for approval to supply pharmaceutical benefits under section 90 of the Act and make recommendations to the Secretary as to whether or not an application should be approved.

Note: The Secretary’s responsibilities concerning the approval of pharmacists have been conferred on the Chief Executive Officer of Medicare Australia, who has delegated these powers to certain officers in Medicare Australia.

In making its recommendation to the Secretary’s delegate in Medicare Australia, the ACPA must comply with the requirements specified in a Determination made by the Minister for Health and Ageing under section 99L of the Act. This Determination, entitled National Health (Australian Community Pharmacy Authority Rules) Determination 2006, is commonly referred to as the pharmacy location rules.

The pharmacy location rules (the rules) prescribe location-based criteria that must be satisfied in order to establish a new pharmacy or relocate an existing pharmacy. The rules are an outcome of the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement between the Australian Government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

The Department of Health and Ageing provides secretariat services to the ACPA. The ACPA Secretariat also assists applicants with enquiries about the rules, and serves as the liaison between pharmacists and the ACPA.

Applications for approval to supply pharmaceutical benefits

The Applications Handbook March 2007 provides pharmacists with comprehensive information about:

• the application process from beginning to end, including when it is necessary to seek approval, how to make an application, and how an approval is finally granted;
• each of the pharmacy location rules and a checklist of the requirements associated with each rule; and
• specific requirements of the pharmacy location rules, including guidance about how certain requirements operate and the types of evidence which might address the requirements.

It is up to the applicant to select the rule which best suits their situation as each rule has different requirements. Applicants must satisfy all of the requirements for a particular rule if they are to receive a recommendation for approval from the ACPA.

A completed application form must be lodged with Medicare Australia, together with supporting documents within the application lodgement timeframe for the corresponding ACPA meeting. Medicare Australia will send all ‘valid’ applications to the ACPA secretariat in the Department of Health and Ageing for referral to the ACPA.

ACPA Meeting dates 2010

The ACPA meeting dates for end of 2009 and for 2010 and the corresponding application lodgement timeframes for ‘valid’ applications to be received by Medicare Australia are outlined in the table below. Please note these dates are subject to change.

ACPA Meeting	Timeframe to lodge an Application with Medicare Australia
	From	To
27 November 2009	Tuesday 22 September 2009	Monday 19 October 2009
18 December 2009	Tuesday 20 October 2009	Monday 9 November 2009
22 January 2010	Tuesday 10 November 2009	Monday 7 December 2009
26 February 2010	Tuesday 8 December 2009	Monday 11 January 2010
26 March 2010	Tuesday 12 January 2010	Monday 15 February 2010
30 April 2010	Tuesday 16 February 2010	Monday 15 March 2010
28 May 2010	Tuesday 16 March 2010	Monday 19 April 2010
25 June 2010	Tuesday 20 April 20010	Monday 17 May 2010
30 July 2010	Tuesday 18 May 2010	Monday 21June 2010
27 August 2010	Tuesday 22 June 2010	Monday 19 July 2010
24 September 2010	Tuesday 20 July 2010	Monday 16 August 2010
29 October 2010	Tuesday 17 August 2010	Monday 20 September 2010
26 November 2010	Tuesday 21 September 2010	Monday 18 October 2010
17 December 2010	Tuesday 19 October 2010	Monday 15 November 2010

Note: Application lodgement timeframes are to ensure that Medicare Australia and the ACPA Secretariat have sufficient time to process and register applications, undertake consultation with third parties and for the ACPA to give proper consideration of applications.

ACPA Recommendations

The ACPA will advise in writing:

• usually the next working day after a meeting - the Secretary’s delegate in Medicare Australia, if the ACPA has made a decision to recommend the application be approved. Note: If the recommendation by the ACPA is to approve the application, the relevant delegate in Medicare Australia is responsible for granting the approval;
• usually within 3 working days after a meeting - the applicant, if the ACPA has made a decision to defer consideration of the application to the next meeting, requesting more information be provided;
• usually within 4 working days after a meeting - the applicant, if the ACPA has made a decision to recommend to the Secretary’s delegate that the application not be approved, including the reason(s) for the decision and the rights of review; and
• usually within 6 working days after a meeting - any pharmacist/s who provided comments to the ACPA, advising the outcome of the application.

Ministerial Discretion

The Minister for Health and Ageing has a discretionary power to approve pharmacies in unique circumstances where the application of the location rules results in a community without reasonable access to the supply of pharmaceutical benefits by an approved pharmacist, and approval of the pharmacy is in the public interest. Further information on the Minister’s discretionary power is available at the Ministerial Discretion on Pharmacy Location home page.