NEGOTIATIONS between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Health Department have seen the release of amendments to the Pharmacy Location Rules (PD breaking news), with Health Minister Greg Hunt signing an Amending Determination this week to enact the new arrangements.
"The Rules remain consistent with the overall objective of the National Medicines Policy to improve the health outcomes of all Australians through access to and quality use of medicines," the department said.
A revised Pharmacy Location Rules Applicant's Handbook 2018 will be made available online at health.gov.au/ACPA to assist applicants in understanding the application process and requirements under the new Rules.
The main changes involve providing increased flexibility for pharmacists relocating outside of shopping centres, and an increase in the time that a pharmacist must remain in one location prior to relocating from two to five years.
A new rule allows pharmacies to relocate between 1km and 1.5km from their existing location, and there is also a reduction in the distance that a proposed new large medical centre pharmacy needs to be from existing pharmacies.
Any applications for new pharmacies or relocations on or after 03 Oct will be considered under the new Rules.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 21 Sep 18
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 21 Sep 18
