If you are also relocating, see Relocate and change ownership of a pharmacy.
What you need to know
Under section 90 of the National Health Act 1953 (Act), a pharmacist who intends to become the new owner of an existing approved pharmacy must apply for approval to supply PBS medicines.
How to apply
To apply to change ownership of an existing pharmacy without also relocating, you will need to:
- access the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal to lodge an application – please note, you must agree to the terms of use to access the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal
- provide relevant information to support the application
- provide evidence that the requirements of the relevant state or territory regulatory authority have been met.
See our guide on How to submit an online application to change ownership of an approved pharmacy.
Important
If you are an applicant preparing and submitting an application on behalf of other applicant(s), or you are another person appointed by the applicant(s) to prepare and submit an application on their behalf, please download the Appointment of a representative form. When completed, this form must be attached to the application at the 'Declarations' section of the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal.
When preparing a change of ownership application please download the Current Owner(s) Declaration Form. When completed, this form must be attached to the application at the 'Declarations' section of the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal.
We may take up to 30 business days to process and finalise an application to change ownership of a pharmacy (not involving relocation). Please submit your application at least 30 days prior to your anticipated opening or settlement date.
Within 20 business days we will check your application against the Valid Application Checklist and let you know if it is valid. If it is not valid we will ask you to resubmit the application. The 20 business days will restart from the date you resubmit the application.
To view the end-to-end process for a change of ownership application, see the Change of Ownership application process map.
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