Pharmacy ownership rules vary from state to state.
In 2008 the Council of Australian Governments signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) requiring the states, territories and the Commonwealth to establish a single national registration and accreditation scheme (the national scheme) for health professionals, including pharmacists.
However, the national scheme, which commenced on 1 July 2010, does not address pharmacy ownership rules. These rules continue to be the responsibility of individual states and territories.
Answers to questions such as:
- What constitutes an interest in or ownership of a pharmacy business?
- Can non pharmacists have an interest in a pharmacy business?
- How many pharmacy businesses can an entity have an interest in or own?
are found in each state and territory’s pharmacy ownership legislation[1] and there are variances from state to state. This is where the potential for misinterpretation and costly mistakes becomes a very real issue for pharmacy owners or would-be owners.
Excerpt from an article written by Maurice Hannan and Anthony Purcell for the April issue of the Australian Journal of Pharmacy. To read the full article, click here.
[1] Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001 (QLD); Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a; Health Professions Registration Act 2005 (VIC); Health Act 1993 (ACT); Health Practitioner Regulation National Law(South Australia) Act 2010 (SA); Pharmacy Act 2010 (WA); Pharmacists Registration Act 2001 (TAS) Health Practitioners Act 2007 (NT)