Pharmacy Location Rules

What you need to know

The Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (ACPA) considers applications for new and relocating pharmacies against the Pharmacy Location Rules and then makes a recommendation to us as to whether we should approve an application.

ACPA is an independent statutory authority established under section 99J of the National Health Act 1953. It has 6 part-time members – 5 appointed by the Minister and 1 appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

Pharmacy Location Rules

The Pharmacy Location Rules (Rules) relate to establishing a new pharmacy or relocating an existing pharmacy under the Act. 

The Rules are a legislative instrument – the National Health (Australian Community Pharmacy Authority Rules) Determination 2018 - made under section 99L of the Act. The Rules set out location-based criteria which must be met to allow ACPA to recommend approval of a pharmacist. The ACPA:

• cannot override the requirements of the Rules
• can only recommend that an application be approved if it is satisfied that all of the requirements of the item under which the application was made have been met. 

The Pharmacy Location Rules – Applicant's Handbook will help you to determine which item of the Rules to apply under, and what information you will need to supply to support your application.

The Rules are consistent with the overall objective of the National Medicines Policy to improve the health outcomes of all Australians through access to and quality use of medicines.

ACPA meeting dates

See the table below for the ACPA meeting dates for the remainder of 2025 and beginning of 2026. The table includes the corresponding timeframe to submit applications through the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal for each meeting. These dates are current but may be subject to change.

Application lodgement timeframes are to ensure there is sufficient time to:

• process and register applications – subject to the application being valid
• undertake consultation with third parties where relevant
• consider applications.

Please note the longer timeframe between the December meeting and the first meeting in the following year is to account for the Department's closure over Christmas, and the availability of staff and ACPA members in January.

Notification of ACPA meeting outcomes

Meeting outcomes will be published on the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal within 5 working days after a meeting. 

ACPA recommends that an application be approved

If ACPA recommends an application be approved, we are responsible for granting the approval. We may also reject the application even if approval has been recommended by ACPA. Once a recommendation to approve an application has been published on the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal, we will write to recommended applicants to advise them of the decision and outline the requirements for obtaining approval.

ACPA recommends that an application not be approved

If ACPA recommends that an application not be approved, it will endeavour to inform the applicant of the decision, including the reason(s) for the decision and the rights of review, within 10 working days after the meeting.

ACPA defers making a recommendation on an application

If ACPA defers consideration of the application to the next meeting, it will endeavour to advise the applicant of the reasons for the deferral within 5 working days after the meeting and the status ‘Deferred’ will be displayed on the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal.

Surrounding pharmacists who provided comments on an application

The ACPA will endeavour to advise the outcome of an application to any pharmacist(s) who provided comments about an application as soon as practicable, but generally no sooner than 10 working days after a meeting. Please note, ACPA does not advise surrounding pharmacists of the meeting outcome if it has deferred making a recommendation.