What is a Change of Ownership Application?
A Change of Ownership application is required by those buying/ taking over a pharmacy from a current pharmacy operator. It is also required when transferring a pharmacy between different legal entities for intra-group transfers.
New owners must apply to the NHS to transfer the pharmacy contract into their company or name.
The NHS must be satisfied that the same pharmaceutical services will be provided by the new owner as they are provided by the person currently included in the pharmaceutical list.
All Change of Ownerships must be submitted under the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, which set the legal framework for the commissioning of pharmaceutical services in England.
A successful Change of Ownership application culminates in the issuing of the NOC form, which allows buyers to obtain their new ODS codes, and fix a takeover date for the Pharmacy.
Is Fitness to Practise (FTP) required for a Change of Ownership?
The new owner may need ‘Fitness to Practise’ in the relevant area that the pharmacy is located in. If they do not already have this, then they will also be required to submit a ‘Fitness to Practise’ form alongside the Change of Ownership form.
Fitness to Practise entails more stringent checks on buyers; and thus, it is important to ensure forms are completed properly. Any mistake, however minor, can cause delays with the FTP process and may cause the overall transaction to be delayed.
How long does Change of Ownership & FTP take to get approved?
NHS England should determine the Change of Ownership application within 30 days of the date of receiving the information. Fitness to Practise currently takes an additional 2-3 months to process as long as no fitness issues arise.
What else needs doing?
As well as applying for NHS Change of Ownership, applicants are also required to apply for GPHC Change of Ownership. This is important to ensure that wholesale suppliers recognize you as the new owner of any pharmacy.
We also handle GPHC Change of Ownership on behalf of clients within our fee quote. Our working relationship with the GPHC typically allows us to get these applications approved within a week.
Why use Healthcare Plus?
Healthcare Plus are well versed in ensuring forms are filled in correctly and ensuring applications progress in a timely manner. We have completed numerous Change of Ownership & FTP applications seamlessly on behalf of clients and know exactly what needs to be written.
Should any issues arise, we are well-positioned to quickly resolve any problems with both the NHS and GPHC through working relationships developed over the years.
We can take care of the paperwork on your behalf, stress-free, whilst you focus on the numerous other challenges required when taking over a Pharmacy.
Should you wish to find out more about how we can help you, feel free to get in touch today.
