Australian Community Pharmacy Authority Applicant's Handbook

Rule 112: Relocation to large medical centre

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Policy intent

This rule aims to encourage timely and convenient access to pharmacy services to the patients of large medical centre that operate extended hours while maintaining a viable and sustainable network of community pharmacies.

Requirements

An application made under this rule must meet the requirements listed below. Further information about each of these requirements can be found at the page reference noted.

Please note that it is important to clearly identify the proposed premises that are the subject of an application.

• The applicant has a legal right to occupy the proposed premises
• The proposed premises can be used for the purpose of operating a pharmacy
• The applicant will be ready to operate a pharmacy at the proposed premises within six months
• The proposed premises are not directly accessible by the public from within a supermarket
• The proposed premises are situated within a large medical centre that:

1. is under a single management; and
2. operates at least 70 hours per week; and
3. has prescribing general practitioners practising for at least 70 hours per week

• At the time of the application, and in each of the six months before the date of application, the equivalent of at least eight full-time prescribing general practitioners have been practising in the centre
• The proposed premises are at least 500 m, by straight line, from the nearest approved pharmacy
• The applicant will make all reasonable attempts to ensure that the operating hours of the proposed premises will meet the needs of the centre’s patients
• An approval has been in force at the existing premises for at least two years or the application is of the type set out in the prescribed exceptions
• If the approval was originally granted under the rule associated with a new rural approval (under the current or previous rules), then the proposed premises are situated in the same rural locality
• If the existing approval was originally granted under the rule associated with a new approval (urban locality) or new approval (general) within the last five years, then the proposed premises are not more than 1.5 km, by straight line, from the original premises

  Restrictions

  An approval granted as a result of this rule cannot subsequently relocate from the large medical centre using a short distance relocation (either Rule 104 or 105) unless the ACPA is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances.

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