General information
This guide is based on publicly available information from official sources, including the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Services Australia, Healthdirect and other Australian Government health and pharmacy bodies. It is general information, not personal medical advice, and may change over time. With any medicine, always read the label and use only as directed, and if symptoms persist see your doctor or health care professional. Check anything that affects you with your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
Late-night pharmacies in Australia cluster around capital-city centres, major shopping precincts, and large transport hubs. In most states the capital city, including its central business district (CBD) and suburban shopping centres, has far more late options than regional areas. After 8pm your options narrow quickly, and after 10pm they narrow again. Genuine 24-hour pharmacies are rare, and most late-trading pharmacies close by 10pm. Pharmacy Finder's late-night view lists the pharmacies whose published hours run to 8pm or later, so you can find the late-trading options near you, and the open-now view checks each pharmacy against the current time to show which are open at the moment. For the wider picture, see our find a pharmacy guide and the 24-hour pharmacy explainer.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) co-payment is a maximum set by the government, so it is the same whether you fill your script early in the day or late at night. The general co-payment is adjusted each year, while the concessional co-payment stays at $7.70 until 2030, so it is worth checking the current amount (PBS co-payments, health.gov.au). The PBS fee notes do allow a pharmacy to add an after-hours fee on top of the co-payment, so ask about any extra charge before you fill a script late at night.
Among pharmacies that trade late, 9pm is the most common closing time in most capital cities, and a smaller number stay open until 10pm or later:
| State or territory | Typical metro late close | 24-hour trading |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 9pm to 10pm (Sydney) | Rare |
| VIC | 9pm (Melbourne) | Rare |
| QLD | 9pm to 10pm (Brisbane, Gold Coast) | Rare |
| WA | 9pm (Perth) | Rare or none |
| SA | 9pm (Adelaide) | Four in the Adelaide area, listed by SA Health |
| TAS | 8pm to 9pm (Hobart, Launceston) | Rare or none |
| ACT | 9pm (Canberra) | Rare or none |
| NT | 8pm to 9pm (Darwin) | Rare or none |
Pharmacy Finder directory of registered trading hours, and 24/7 pharmacies, SA Health for South Australia's 24-hour pharmacies. Late-close times are typical for each metro area and vary by individual pharmacy and season, so they are worth confirming on the day, or by calling ahead.
Late-night pharmacies in New South Wales
New South Wales has one of the largest late-trading networks in the country, concentrated in Sydney.
Sydney CBD. Several pharmacies in the CBD, including around Town Hall, World Square and Circular Quay, trade until 9pm or 10pm. A few inner-city pharmacies outside the CBD stay open until 11pm on weekdays.
Western Sydney. Blacktown, Liverpool, and Bankstown each have several late-trading pharmacies, generally closing at 9pm or 10pm. Some independent pharmacies along major arterials stay open later.
Newcastle. A small group of pharmacies across greater Newcastle trade until 9pm or later. Outside those, most close by 8pm.
Wollongong. Coverage here is limited, with Crown Street and the major shopping centres carrying most of the late-trading sites.
Regional NSW. Late-evening trading is scarce outside the major centres. Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, and Port Macquarie each have a small number of pharmacies that trade until 8pm or later; most close earlier.
Browse the NSW pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in Victoria
Victoria's network is strong, and Melbourne holds most of its late-trading pharmacies.
Melbourne CBD. The pharmacies along Bourke Street, Swanston Street, and Elizabeth Street generally stay open to 9pm or 10pm. A small number of inner-city pharmacies stay open later.
Inner suburbs. South Yarra and Prahran have late-trading pharmacies, most closing around 9pm. South Melbourne has a smaller set.
Outer suburbs. Most large shopping centres (Chadstone, Highpoint, Westfield Doncaster, Northland) host a pharmacy that trades until 9pm. Beyond the centres, most close by 8pm.
Regional Victoria. Geelong, Ballarat, and Bendigo each have a handful of pharmacies that trade past 8pm, mostly in the central retail strips.
Browse the Victorian pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in Queensland
Brisbane and the Gold Coast anchor Queensland's late-night network.
Brisbane. The CBD, Fortitude Valley, South Bank, and the major suburban centres (Indooroopilly, Chermside, Carindale, Mt Gravatt) host pharmacies that trade until 9pm or 10pm. A small set trades late all week.
Gold Coast. Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Robina, and Pacific Fair are the main late-night clusters.
Sunshine Coast. Maroochydore and the Sunshine Plaza pharmacies trade until 9pm. Noosa Heads has fewer late options.
Regional Queensland. Townsville, Cairns, Toowoomba, Mackay, and Rockhampton each have a small number of pharmacies open past 8pm, mostly inside major shopping centres.
Browse the Queensland pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in Western Australia
Western Australia's late-night trading centres on Perth.
Perth. The CBD, Northbridge, and the major shopping centres (Karrinyup, Garden City, Westfield Carousel, Lakeside Joondalup) host the late-trading set. Closing times typically run to 9pm. A small number of suburban pharmacies trade until 11pm or later.
Outside Perth. Late-night options are limited beyond the Perth metro area. Mandurah has several late-trading pharmacies, and Bunbury and Geraldton each have at least one.
Browse the WA pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in South Australia
South Australia's late-night options are focused on Adelaide.
Adelaide. Rundle Mall, nearby city streets, and the major suburban centres (Westfield Marion, Tea Tree Plaza, Westfield West Lakes) are the heart of Adelaide's late-trading network. Closing times run to 9pm in most cases. SA Health also lists four pharmacies in the Adelaide area that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including public holidays (24/7 pharmacies, SA Health).
Outside Adelaide. Mount Gambier and Whyalla each have a pharmacy open until 8pm or later, but most regional sites close earlier.
Browse the SA pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in Tasmania
Tasmania has a small late-night network.
Hobart. A handful of pharmacies in the CBD and Sandy Bay trade until 9pm. After that, options are very limited.
Launceston. The CBD pharmacies cover late-evening trading, mostly closing by 9pm.
Outside Hobart and Launceston, most Tasmanian pharmacies close by 6pm or 7pm, so it is worth planning refills ahead if you are travelling in the regions.
Browse the Tasmanian pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
In the ACT, late trading is confined to Canberra.
Canberra. The Civic pharmacies trade until 9pm, with a small set in Belconnen, Tuggeranong, and Woden running similar hours. The pharmacy network is compact, so a single live check usually shows everything open close by.
Browse the ACT pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
Late-night pharmacies in the Northern Territory (NT)
The Northern Territory's late-night options sit in its two main centres.
Darwin. The CBD and Casuarina Square pharmacies are the practical late-night options, generally closing by 9pm.
Alice Springs. Pharmacies in Alice Springs generally close by early evening, earlier than those in Darwin.
In remote NT, pharmacy access is limited even during business hours, so it is worth bringing enough of your regular medicines when you travel.
Browse the NT pharmacy directory and filter for late trading.
What counts as "late night" on Pharmacy Finder?
The late-night view uses 8pm local time on weekdays as its cut-off. We chose 8pm because many suburban pharmacies close earlier than that, and a pharmacy that trades to 8pm or beyond is what most people mean when they search "late night pharmacy near me".
Within the late-night list, you can filter by:
- State or territory
- Hours, including open now, open weekends and open 24 hours
- Services, including delivery and prescription dispensing
- Accessibility, including wheelchair access
To see which of those pharmacies are open at this moment, switch to the open-now view, which checks each pharmacy's registered hours against the current time. For midnight-or-later trading, see how to find a 24-hour pharmacy.
A listing shows each pharmacy's usual hours, and those can change on public holidays or at short notice. The open-now view checks the current time for you, and a quick phone call confirms a pharmacy is trading before you make the trip.
What can you do when nothing is open?
If nothing nearby is trading, you have three practical options.
Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. A registered nurse answers at any hour (Contact us, healthdirect). They can advise what type of care you need and when to get it. If you have run out of a regular medicine, a pharmacist may be able to help through continued dispensing, where a pharmacist supplies a further standard quantity of an eligible regular PBS medicine without a new prescription. This is available once in a 12-month period, and only when your prescriber cannot be reached (Continued dispensing, PBS).
An after-hours home doctor service. Healthdirect notes that after-hours general practitioner (GP) services may offer home visits or telehealth appointments, and that some bulk bill while others charge a fee (After-hours health services, healthdirect). Bulk billing means the service bills Medicare and you do not pay (Bulk billing, Services Australia), so it is worth confirming the cost when you book. If you need a prescription urgently and have no script on hand, a home visit can be quicker than a trip to an emergency department.
A hospital emergency department. Healthdirect advises going to a hospital emergency department for severe or urgent conditions, including a heart attack or stroke, problems with breathing, serious injuries or a severe mental health concern, and calling triple zero (000) for an ambulance in an emergency (After-hours health services, healthdirect).
Only you and a health professional can judge your own situation. In an emergency, call 000.
Talk to someone now
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Frequently asked questions
A small number of pharmacies trade 24 hours a day, every day, and the largest group is in Adelaide, where SA Health lists four (24/7 pharmacies, SA Health). Elsewhere, most late-trading pharmacies close at 9pm or 10pm, and a small number stay open until 11pm or later.
