Fit-out finance · Pharmacy

Fit-out finance 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 fit-out finance works for pharmacy

Modern pharmacy layouts push the dispensary forward and build private consultation rooms for vaccinations and services, which means real construction rather than new shelving. Fit-out finance spreads joinery, lighting, flooring, signage and consultation-room build across the lease term rather than clearing the cash you need to hold stock. Match the term to the lease including options. If you are refitting in stages to keep trading, we can structure the facility to draw down in tranches as each stage completes.

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

Fit-out finance for pharmacy: the numbers

Typical amounts$20,000 – $1,500,000
Term1260 months
Indicative rates9.5% – 22% p.a.
RepaymentsMonthly
Speed3–10 business days
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 fit-out finance?

Fit-out finance is business lending used to fund the construction or refurbishment of commercial premises, including joinery, flooring, lighting, signage and the equipment installed. It typically combines secured equipment finance with an unsecured component for fixed works.

Can leasehold improvements be financed?

Yes, but usually not as secured equipment finance, because fixed improvements attach to a building the borrower does not own. Lenders fund them through unsecured facilities or specialist fit-out products, priced above standard asset finance.

How does a lease term affect fit-out finance?

Lenders will not normally amortise fit-out debt beyond the remaining term of the premises lease, including exercisable options. A five-year lease generally means a fit-out loan of five years or less.

Check my options