Important information
If a person is purchasing an ownership interest in a pharmacy business, the person must be granted a pharmacy business licence under the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2024 before the ownership change can take effect.
If you have been granted a pharmacy business licence under the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2024, you are not required to make notifications under the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001.
Transitional provisions
Under the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2024 (PBO Act), existing owners of existing pharmacy businesses that operated under the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001 (2001 Act) as of 31 October 2025 and meet the eligibility criteria in sections 214 to 216 of the PBO Act will have one to two years after 1 November 2025 to apply for a licence.
Notification of change in ownership or ownership particulars of a pharmacy business
Existing owners who are within their allowed transition period must continue to make notifications about changes to their pharmacy business under the 2001 Act until they are granted a pharmacy business licence under the PBO Act.
Existing owners must notify the Queensland Pharmacy Business Ownership Council (Council) when:
- a person ceases to own the pharmacy business; or
- there is a change of name or location of the pharmacy business; or
- for a corporation other than a corporation mentioned in section 139B(c) to (e) of the 2001 Act, there is a change to:
- the directors or shareholders of a corporation that owns the pharmacy business; or
- the shareholdings of a shareholder of a corporation that owns the pharmacy business; or
- for a pharmacy business owned in partnership, there is a change to the share held by the partner.
The notification should be made after the change takes effect and must be made within 21 days of the change taking effect.
To submit a notification, please complete Approved Form A – Notification of change in ownership or ownership particulars of a pharmacy business – 2001 Act [PDF 476.56 KB] and email to applications@pboc.qld.gov.au.
The Council will provide confirmation of receipt of the notification. You may need to provide this to the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to support a notification relating to an approval to supply Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) medicines. For further information review the ‘About PBS approved suppliers’ webpage.
Other requirements
In certain circumstances, existing owners who are eligible for the transitional provisions may be required to apply to the Council to continue operating. These circumstances include:
- the registration of a pharmacist owner, pharmacist director or pharmacist shareholder under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law is cancelled or suspended;
- a spouse of a pharmacist who is a director or shareholder of a corporation that owns a pharmacy business stops being the pharmacist’s spouse;
- a pharmacist owner dies, and their executor, administrator or trustee continues to operates the business.
If applicable, please contact the Council for further advice.