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Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Hospital Medication Chart (HMC) 012-60030090

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This page contains high level information about the stages of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Hospital Medication Chart (HMC) for PBS purposes.

Overview of the PBS HMC for PBS purposes

This table provides an overview of the steps involved in prescribing, dispensing, supplying and claiming PBS medicines directly.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Approved prescriber to complete details of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Hospital Medication Chart (HMC)

The approved prescriber must complete all sections of the PBS HMC including:

  • date of prescribing
  • patient details
  • patient entitlement details, if applicable. For example, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Centrelink and/or PBS Safety Net Card number(s)
  • duration (1, 4 or 12 months)
  • medication details (including dose frequency)
  • medication scheme:
    • PBS
    • Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (RPBS), or
    • private
  • approved prescriber details (including prescriber number, full name and signature), and
  • approved prescriber to nominate if the discharge medication is to be supplied from the PBS HMC

Note: the PBS HMC becomes the legal prescription.

2

Approved supplier to dispense medication

The approved supplier:

  • supplies the prescribed PBS medicine for the quantity specified on the PBS HMC by the approved prescriber, and
  • identifies the relevant patient category for PBS online claiming according to the:
    • hospital (public or private), and
    • patient setting (inpatient, outpatient or discharge patient)

Note: all PBS medicines used for inpatients at public hospitals will continue to be provided as per current arrangements.

3

Approved supplier to endorse medication supply

The approved supplier is to endorse the PBS HMC with their name, approved supplier number and a PBS prescription identifying number by either:

  • placing a sticker detailing the medicine, or
  • by endorsing the PBS HMC

See the Resources page for more information about The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

4

Nurse to administer PBS medicines from the PBS HMC

Nurses are to administer medicines in accordance with their local hospital administrative practices.

5

Approved supplier to lodge claim

The approved supplier is to submit claims for payment via Online claiming for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Approved suppliers are not required to submit the PBS HMC to Services Australia for the purposes of a claim. However, documentation must be retained for 2 years and be available on request by Services Australia and/or the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

6

Services Australia pays claim

As per usual PBS arrangements the PBS HMC (the PBS prescription) is not required to be supplied to Services Australia for claiming purposes.