You can get a licence to operate a pharmacy for a short time if you are a mortgagee in possession. This means you have taken control of the pharmacy because the owner has not paid their mortgage. You can get a licence for 3 months or for a longer time if the licensing authority agrees. You might be wondering what a mortgagee in possession is. It is someone who has taken control of a property, like a pharmacy, because the owner has not paid their mortgage. This term is explained in section 4 of the Property Law Act 2007. If you are a mortgagee in possession of a pharmacy, you can operate it even though there are rules that normally stop people from doing so, like those in sections 55D and 55E. The licensing authority can impose conditions on your licence. They can also decide how long your licence will last.