Location Rules

The objectives of the Location Rules, as set out in the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement, are to ensure:

• All Australians have access to PBS medicines;
• A commercially viable and sustainable network of community pharmacies dispensing PBS medicines;
• Improved efficiency through increased competition between pharmacies;
• Improved flexibility to respond to the community need for pharmacy services;
• Increased local access to community pharmacies for persons in rural and remote regions of Australia; and
• Continued development of an effective, efficient and well-distributed community pharmacy network in Australia.

The Location Rules, including rules made by ministerial determination relating to supermarket co-location, were not altered by the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement.

Ministerial Discretion

The Minister’s discretionary power enables the Minister to approve a pharmacist where the Secretary’s decision, based on application of the Rules, has resulted in a community without reasonable access to the supply of PBS medicines. The Minister will only be able to exercise this discretionary power at the completion of the existing approval process. Furthermore, the Minister will not be under any obligation to consider a request or to exercise this discretionary power.

Further information on the Minister’s discretionary power is available at the Department of Health FAQs page.

The full details of the Location Rules and the process involved in applying for an approval number can be found in the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (ACPA) Applicant’s Handbook and in the Ministerial Determination (which gives effect to the Location Rules).

Application Forms

The ACPA application forms are available from Medicare Australia’s website .

Australian Community Pharmacy Authority

The Department of Health and Ageing is responsible for providing secretariat services to the ACPA. The ACPA Secretariat serves as the liaison between pharmacists and the ACPA, and its duties include:

• Processing applications for ACPA consideration;
• Seeking comments from pharmacists in the vicinity of a proposed pharmacy;
• Liaising with applicants on required documentation and application status;
• Providing guidance and assistance on the pharmacy location rules and the application process to any interested persons;
• Communicating ACPA recommendations to the Secretary.

Any queries for the ACPA Secretariat should be directed to:

The Secretary, ACPA Secretariat
Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 38, GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Phone: 02 6289 6848
Facsimile: 02 6289 8641
Email: ACPAMail@health.gov.au

More information

If you want further information in relation to location rules contact the National Secretariat of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on 02 6270 1888.