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Chair's message Thank you to all licensees who have already renewed their licences and premises registrations via the new VPA Portal. We are now in the final week of the ‘late period’ for annual renewals. We remind you that late lodgement fees have been waived for renewals this year to support licensees to transition to the new VPA portal. However, all licences and premises registration renewals must be completed by 28 July, and I urge any licensees to renew at the earliest opportunity if you haven’t already. We thank you for your patience with the transition of renewal processes to the new VPA portal and encourage you to contact the helpful staff at the VPA for assistance with the new portal. We have improved the public register on our website as a part of the digital transformation process. Changes include an improved search function and clearer layout for search results. We remind stakeholders that the public register is the only reliable way to verify current licence or registration status. The VPA has imposed new standard licence and registration conditions to address specific harms and reporting obligations. New standard conditions reinforce and reflect existing requirements relating to ownership and proprietary interests and good David McConville Update on annual licence and premises registration renewalsPlease apply to renew any outstanding licence or premises registration as a matter of urgency as renewal applications cannot be accepted after 28 July 2026. The annual licence and premises registration renewal process is coming to an end. The majority of licences and premises registrations have now been renewed. We thank everyone for their patience with the transition to the new VPA Portal. You can view your licence or registration status via your VPA Portal dashboard or via the VPA Public Register. Licensees are reminded that renewal applications are due by 30 June each year. We are now in the late renewal period which ends on 28 July 2026. Renewal applications made during the late period would normally be subject to a late lodgement fee. If a licence or registration renewal application remains outstanding after 28 July 2026, it will be unlawful to continue to carry on the pharmacy business or operate in those premises. New applications will be required. There are resources available on the new VPA Portal Landing Page on the VPA website to guide licensees and applicants through the new processes. These include help videos, a user guide and FAQs. Licensees can also contact the VPA directly by emailing finance@pharmacy.vic.gov.au for assistance with renewal applications. Certificates and receipts are emailed to licensees upon completion of the renewal process. Improvements to the VPA Public RegisterLicence or registration status can be confirmed at any time by checking the VPA public register. This should be an essential check for new owners and all licensees following licence and premises registration renewal. Importantly, the public register is the only way to verify current licence or registration status. Certificates should never be used to confirm licence or premises registration information. The VPA's public register includes details of all licensees and registered premises including the name of each licensee, details of pharmacies owned by a person, the registration status of the premises and any conditions on a licence or registration. Improvements to the public register were The public register can be accessed directly via the VPA website at https://pharmacy.vic.gov.au/register-search/ or by selecting ‘Register Search’ from the ‘Information and Services’ dropdown menu on the home page. The public register can be searched by premises or owner by selecting from the Special Focus - New Standard Licence and Registration ConditionsStandard licence and registration conditions have been reviewed and updated for 2026-27 to address specific harms and reporting obligations. The updated standard conditions are imposed upon renewal of a licence or premises registration. Pharmacy business licences are subject to new and updated conditions relating to ownership and proprietary interests, ownership-related changes and trust structures. These conditions support the ownership requirements of the Act and clarify existing requirements to notify the Authority of changes to pharmacy business commercial arrangements. New guidance will be issued shortly about corporate applicants, proprietary interests and trusts to support compliance. Pharmacies are subject to new conditions relating Licensees can view the updated standard conditions on certificates and the VPA public register. New TGA guidance clarifies requirements for compounded medicinesThe Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has published new guidance on Manufacturing, supplying and advertising compounded medicines lawfully, to support compliance with Australia's regulatory requirements. While the TGA encourages the use of medicines included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), the legislative framework recognises that compounding may be necessary in limited circumstances to meet an individual patient's clinical needs. Relevantly, the guidance explains how community and hospital pharmacists, medical practitioners and other relevant health practitioners can lawfully compound medicines under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990. The guidance also outlines additional restrictions and expectations for higher-risk products, including biologicals, medicinal cannabis, GLP-1 receptor agonist analogues and intravenous therapies. The VPA encourages pharmacists who compound medicines to review the guidance and check that their compounding, supply and advertising practices comply with legal and professional requirements and any applicable exemptions. The TGA Guidance can be found here. A message from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and AgeingAbout Medicare Mental Health Check In Medicare Mental Health Check In is a new online service offering free and confidential support to help people manage mild mental health challenges, like stress, anxiety, and low mood. Pharmacists and pharmacy teams play an important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of their communities. As trusted health professionals, you are well placed to recommend Medicare Mental Health Check In to customers or patients who may benefit from free, confidential and practical mental health support. Pharmacists can access the stakeholder information kit, which contains a range of materials, including fact sheets, videos, a poster, social media You can share the materials with pharmacy staff, include them in newsletters or digital communications, post them on social media channels, or display them in the pharmacy to help customers and patients learn more about the service. The social tiles can be downloaded for use here. To find out more
You can also email ask@medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au with any questions about the service. ResourcesSupporting key learnings from recent inspections and areas of high risk, licensees and pharmacists may wish to refer to the following resources. Resources are not limited to the list below and pharmacists are encouraged to review other relevant resources as required. VPA resources
S8 management
Vaccination
Other resources
Members of the Victorian Pharmacy AuthorityMr David McConville, Chair (Pharmacist member) VPA StaffRegistrar: Mr Aaron Bawden The VPA Newsletter is a document issued by the Victoria Pharmacy Authority (VPA) in Australia. It provides important information and updates to pharmacy licensees and stakeholders. You can review this newsletter and previous newsletters on the VPA website here.   Victorian Pharmacy Authority  The Victorian Pharmacy Authority acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. |
