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

Question

FAQs

1

Which prescribers are eligible to use the PBS HMC for PBS purposes?

Answer: all approved prescribers (for example, doctors, dentists, optometrists, midwives and nurse practitioners) under the National Health Act 1953 are eligible to use the PBS HMC for PBS purposes.

2

Who can dispense PBS items from a PBS HMC?

Answer: approved pharmacists (s90 community pharmacy) and approved hospital authorities (s94) can dispense and claim for PBS items from a PBS HMC. Note: an approved medical practitioner (s92) cannot claim medicines from a PBS HMC.

3

How does a nurse administer medicines from a PBS HMC?

Answer: nurses administer medicines in accordance with their local hospital administrative practices.

4

How are PBS items supplied from a PBS HMC?

Answer: an approved prescriber completes the PBS HMC before it is sent to an approved supplier, subject to hospital administrative practices. The approved supplier can then dispense the required PBS item(s) up to the relevant PBS limits, checking the following details:

• appropriateness and safety of the order as per usual dispensing process
• all the required fields are completed
• the duration of supply (the validity period of the PBS HMC) and start date. Note: the start date of supply from a PBS HMC must be within the validity period of the PBS HMC
• the quantity authorised by the approved prescriber - consider the dose and frequency prescribed
• the approved prescriber has clearly indicated if the medicine is PBS, RPBS or non-PBS/private by striking through the option(s) that do not apply, and
• the Brand Substitution not permitted check box.
  If the approved prescriber has selected the check box, brand substitution is not allowed for that item

For Authority prescribing:

• Streamlined Authority Code:
• if the prescribed item is Authority Required (STREAMLINED), the approved prescriber must provide the relevant 4 digit Streamlined Authority Code in the boxes provided
• only the approved prescriber can provide this information
• Phone Authority:
• a single PBS Authority Prescription Number is printed on the PBS HMC and must be used by the approved prescriber to obtain prior authority approval for each Authority Required item
• the authority approval number provided by Services Australia must be written on the PBS HMC in the boxes provided
• only the approved prescriber can provide this information
• Written Authorities:
• an approved prescriber is required to obtain prior written authority approval in line with current requirements
• where the PBS HMC is used to obtain written authority approval, the original PBS HMC along with usual supporting documentation must be submitted to the Services Australia

5

What cannot be prescribed, dispensed, supplied and claimed from a PBS HMC?

Answer: the following items are not eligible for prescribing, supply and claiming from the PBS HMC. Current supply and claiming processes remain in place:

• Emergency Drug (Prescriber Bag) Supply items
• Life Saving Drugs (LSD Programme)
• Aids and Appliances (Stoma, Appliance Scheme and Paraquad)

6

Are owing prescriptions allowed?

Answer: owing prescriptions are not able to be supplied from the PBS HMC.

7

Are deferred supplies allowed?

Answer: deferred supply of eligible items from the PBS HMC is not allowed.

8

Are repeat supplies allowed?

Answer: repeat authorisation forms are not used for the supply of eligible items from the PBS HMC.

However original supplies (up to the maximum PBS/RPBS quantity) of an eligible item may be supplied and claimed on an ongoing basis until the PBS HMC expires, if:

• the approved prescriber has approved supply up to the duration indicated on the PBS HMC, and
• the same date of prescribing is used for the item

If the approved prescriber has not specified a duration, only 1 PBS/ RPBS maximum quantity may be supplied and claimed.