Bought a Pharmacy? Granted Isn’t Listed — the Timeline Nobody Explains
This is one of those nuances you only start to pick up once you actually run the process yourself. You’ve bought a pharmacy — change of ownership, everything done, letter in hand. So can you move it? Change the NHS contract? Here’s the answer, and the timeline nobody sits you down and explains.
The honest summary
- Asset sale = the contract; share sale = the company — and with a share sale you inherit the business’s history, including any bad credit.
- Granted ≠ listed. The commissioners saying “yes, we’ve granted the application” does not put you on the pharmaceutical list.
- You normally have up to a year to execute the grant, and you must give a minimum of 30 days’ notice to be included on the list.
- No changes until you’re listed — relocation and contract variations only become possible once you’re actually on the pharmaceutical list.
- Open first, then move. That’s the whole game in four words.
This is the written companion to my video on the same question. If you’d rather hear it from me first, watch it, then read on for the detail.
First: know what you’re actually buying
Remember the process, folks. When you look to buy a pharmacy you can go one of two ways. An asset sale, where you buy the assets and, with them, the contract itself. Or a share sale, where you buy the pharmacy business — the company — outright. Be careful with the share route: buy the company and you’re also taking on the reputation of that business and any baggage it carries, bad credit included. The clean-looking route isn’t always the clean route. (If you’re earlier in the journey, start with whether to buy at all and the five expensive mistakes.)
The change of ownership process
So you run the process: you put in the change of ownership, and the NHS begins determining whether you’re eligible to hold this pharmacy business. Messages come from various parts of the commissioning machinery — I won’t drag you through every acronym — and if everything fits, the answer comes back: yes, we have granted the application.
Here’s where people relax too early. That letter feels like the finish line. It isn’t. It’s the starting gun.
Granted is the commissioners saying yes. Listed is you actually existing as an NHS pharmacy. They are different events, weeks or months apart.
The clock: up to a year, and 30 days’ notice
Once granted, you now have to execute that grant — to say, formally, “yes, I’m going ahead and opening this pharmacy.” You normally have up to a year to act on the application, and the opening itself requires a minimum of 30 days’ notice to get onto the pharmaceutical list. A year sounds generous; between funding, refit, staffing and stock it disappears faster than you’d think, and a lapsed grant puts you back at the start of the queue.
| Stage | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Granted | Commissioners accept your application | Prepare — nothing contractual yet |
| Execution window | Up to 1 year to act on the grant | Give your 30 days’ notice within it |
| Notice period | Minimum 30 days before inclusion | Final preparations to open |
| On the list | You are an NHS pharmacy | Now relocations & contract changes become possible |
Only then: relocation and contract changes
And so, to the question that started all this — can I change the location without being on the pharmaceutical list? No. Once you’re actually on the list — not granted, listed — then and only then can you think about relocating and making changes to your NHS contract. Until that point, there is no contract of yours to vary.
In short: open that pharmacy, get on that list, and then start to move things around. Otherwise you’re trying to steer a car you don’t own yet.
These are exactly the nuances that make the difference between a smooth acquisition and an expensive lesson. If you’re mid-purchase and want a second pair of eyes on the process, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an asset sale and a share sale when buying a pharmacy?
In an asset sale you buy the assets and the NHS contract; in a share sale you buy the company itself — which means you also inherit its history, reputation and any liabilities, such as bad credit. Be careful with share purchases: you’re taking on everything the company carries, not just the pharmacy.
I've been granted the change of ownership — am I on the pharmaceutical list now?
No, and this is the trap. Being granted means the commissioners are happy to accept your application. You then have to execute it: you normally have up to a year to act on the grant, and you must give a minimum of 30 days’ notice before you’re actually included on the pharmaceutical list. Granted is permission; listed is reality.
Can I relocate the pharmacy or change the NHS contract before I'm on the list?
No. Until you’re actually on the pharmaceutical list you can’t make changes to the contract, including relocation. The sequence is: get granted, give your notice, open, get on the list — and only then think about moving or varying anything.
How long do I have to open after the application is granted?
You normally have up to a year from the grant to put your notice in and open, and the notice itself must be a minimum of 30 days. Don’t treat the year as slack — financing, fitting-out and staffing eat it quickly, and if the grant lapses you’re back to the start.
What should I check before buying so this doesn't catch me out?
Three things: which structure you’re buying through (asset vs share), where exactly the business sits in the change-of-ownership process, and what conditions are attached to the grant. These nuances only become obvious once you’ve run the process — so borrow the experience before you sign, not after.
Comments
Mid-way through a change of ownership, or planning a relocation after buying? Ask below and I'll point you in the right direction — I read every comment.