Equipment loan · Pharmacy

Equipment loan for pharmacy

Pharmacy finance is lending built around PBS reimbursement timing and heavy stock holdings, covering dispensary automation, store fit-outs, inventory funding and the purchase of a pharmacy business.

How a equipment loan works for pharmacy

Robotic dispensing units, automated packing machines and compounding equipment are significant capital purchases that pay for themselves in dispensary labour and error reduction. An equipment loan funds them over three to seven years against the machine. Refrigeration for vaccines and cold-chain stock, security systems and safes for controlled drugs also sit here. Bundle a year of planned purchases into one facility where you can — it is cheaper and simpler than financing each item as it arrives.

The cash-flow pattern we plan around

Daily retail and dispensing income against short wholesaler payment terms, with PBS reimbursement arriving on a set claim cycle after the medicine has been supplied.

What pharmacy typically fund

  • Dispensary automation and robotic dispensing
  • Store fit-out, shelving and refrigeration
  • Inventory and wholesaler account funding
  • Buying a pharmacy or a partnership share
  • Point-of-sale and dispensing software

Equipment loan for pharmacy: the numbers

Typical amounts$5,000 – $5,000,000
Term1284 months
Indicative rates6.9% – 16% p.a.
RepaymentsMonthly
SpeedSame day to 48 hours for low-doc
Documents pharmacy usually needABN, pharmacist registration and pharmacy approval number · Two years of financials and script volume data · Equipment or fit-out quote, or contract of sale

Rates shown are indicative ranges observed across our lender panel for the period stated. They are not an offer or quote. Your rate depends on your business, the lender, the amount, the term and the security offered. The lender makes the final credit decision.

Key terms

Pharmacy business finance

Pharmacy business finance is lending to a registered-pharmacist-owned pharmacy, assessed on script volumes, PBS claim history and retail turnover, and used for acquisitions, fit-outs, automation and inventory.

PBS reimbursement gap

The PBS reimbursement gap is the period between supplying a subsidised medicine and receiving the Commonwealth subsidy, during which the pharmacy has already paid its wholesaler for the stock.

What is equipment finance?

Equipment finance is any loan or lease used to acquire business equipment, with the equipment typically serving as security. The main structures in Australia are chattel mortgages, finance leases and rentals.

Low-doc equipment finance

Low-doc equipment finance approves smaller amounts (often up to $150,000–$250,000) without full financials, relying on ABN age, GST registration, credit history and sometimes a property-owner declaration.

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