The Department may refuse to issue a license to establish a new licensed pharmacy if an owner of the pharmacy applying for a license was an owner of a pharmacy that had its license revoked, unless the owner presents sufficient evidence indicating rehabilitation. Once a complaint has been filed by the Department against a pharmacy the Department may refuse to issue a license to establish a new licensed pharmacy, until such time as the Department issues a decision on the complaint, if an owner of the new pharmacy was also an owner of a pharmacy against which the complaint was filed. Neither an application for change of ownership nor for a change of location for any such pharmacy shall be acted on by the Department until such time as the Department issues a decision on the complaint. In the event that the pharmacy against which the complaint has been filed ceases to be licensed by the Department, for any reason, prior to the Department’s decision on the complaint and an owner of that pharmacy applies for a license to establish a new pharmacy, the Department shall conduct a hearing on the complaint earlier filed, regardless of whether that pharmacy is presently licensed by the Department. If the conduct for which the complaint was originally filed would have been sufficient to result in a revocation of a license to operate a license pharmacy, then such conduct shall constitute sufficient grounds for denial of an application for a license.
     For purposes of this Section “owner” means a sole proprietor, partner or a shareholder who owns in excess of 5 percent of the outstanding shares of a corporation, or the spouse or children of such sole proprietor, partner or shareholder. The provision of this Section shall not apply to any pharmacy owned by a corporation whose shares of stock are publicly traded on a national stock exchange.