The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is closed from 3:00pm on Thursday 24 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 inclusive.
The PBS Approved Suppliers Portal will be available for submission of applications and notifications during the closure period; however, no assessments will be undertaken during this time.
Applicants who have been issued with an administration number, and who wish to seek approval before the closure period, must provide any outstanding information to the PBS Approved Suppliers team and request approval no later than 4:00 pm (Canberra time) on Wednesday 23 December 2026.
Requests for approval received after this time will not be actioned until Monday 4 January 2027 when approval of applications will recommence.
Applications requiring consideration by the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (applications for a new pharmacy or to relocate an existing pharmacy)
Applications requiring consideration by the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (Authority) should continue to be submitted in line with the submission dates, noting that the Authority’s last meeting for the year is scheduled for 11 December 2026. Applications for that meeting must be lodged by no later than 12 November 2026.
Applicants should note that there is no meeting of the Authority scheduled for January 2027 to account for the Department’s closure period and availability of staff and Authority members in January.
Change of ownership applications and changes of other business details
If you are planning to change ownership or other business details of an approved pharmacy before the end of January 2027, please ensure that your application or request (whichever applies) is submitted as early as possible, noting the department’s closure period, and in addition, that assessments and processing periods may take longer than the usual published timeframes due to staff availability in January.
