The Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2024 (PBO Act) establishes the Queensland Pharmacy Business Ownership Council as a statutory body to regulate pharmacy business ownership in Queensland.
The PBO Act commenced on 1 November 2025.
PBO Act purposes
The purposes of the PBO Act help guide how the PBO Act is interpreted and administered.
The two main purposes are:
- to promote the professional, safe and competent provision of pharmacy services by pharmacy businesses, and
- to maintain public confidence in the pharmacy profession.
How are the main purposes achieved
The main purposes are achieved by:
- limiting:
- who may own or hold a material interest in a pharmacy business,
- how many pharmacy businesses a person may own or hold a material interest in, and
- how and where pharmacy businesses may be carried on
- imposing obligations on those owners and material interest holders, and
- establishing the Queensland Pharmacy Business Ownership Council to administer, monitor and enforce compliance with the PBO Act.
Pharmacy Business Ownership Regulation 2025
Section 212 of the PBO Act allows for regulations to be made under the PBO Act about certain matters.
The Pharmacy Business Ownership Regulation 2025 prescribes the:
- standards that pharmacy premises must meet to be ‘authorised premises’, and
- fees payable under the PBO Act.