Contact details
Complex Drugs Programs
National Pharmaceutical Adviser (PA) pilot
Tier 0 technical support - self-sufficiency
Tier 1 technical support - Local Peer Support (LPS)
Veterans' Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Centre (VAPAC)
External websites
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - PBS Streamlined Authority codes
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) | For PBS Prescribers - Prescription requirements
National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2012 - Federal Register of Legislation
Recording customer addresses
Mandatory standards - mailing and physical addresses
Secure printing
Attachment below provides instructions on how to set up and use secure printing on a computer.
Secure printing - set up and print
Letters
Services Australia has endorsed the letter or electronic message for use. It is the latest version. Do not use locally produced letters or electronic message.
Service officers can complete the following letter from the Online PBS Authorities system (OPA system) or DMC. See Digital Messaging Capability (DMC) - Health to create and send letters.
Z3035 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) authority
Mandatory details required for a proposed Authority prescription
Table 1
Section 85 prescriptions/Section 100 HSD PTE/PUB prescriptions (not HSD CA) |
Prescriber number (optional for medical practitioners). |
Prescriber name. |
Prescriber address (for mailed requests in order to post the assessment outcome). |
Date of prescribing. |
Medicare card number/Patient details. |
Authority prescription number. |
Item including strength and form. |
Dose (and/or frequency of administration where dose does not specify). |
Quantity and repeats requested. |
Full criteria patient meets. |
Hospital Provider Number (required for Section 100 HSD PTE/PUB prescriptions). |
Mandatory details required for assessing an Authority request
Table 2: this table describes requirements for details of a proposed Authority prescription.
Requirements for details of the proposed Authority prescription (for example, a photocopy) HPOS form upload applications |
Must have statement from the prescriber to address the restriction criteria. |
Must answer Q&As OPA asks. |
Not required to be AIP compliant. |
Not required to be signed by the prescriber. |
Not required to have patient's and prescriber's address. |
Not required to initial changes made to the proposed authority prescription. |
Must not be rejected if a patient hospital sticker has been used on a non-hospital prescription. |
Required HPOS responses to a prescriber or delegate
Table 3: provides service officers with text that must be included in an email response to a Prescriber or Delegate when a HPOS item is received.
Item | Description |
1 | HPOS item received which is approved, approved with changes or rejected Please read the attached letter for the outcome of your recent PBS Authority request. Also include the below for the Eye program and all Crohn's programs: Did you know that you can request treatment for this indication for eligible patients using the Online PBS Authorities System and receive a real time assessment result? For more details, go to the Services Australia website and search for 'Request an authority using Online PBS Authorities.' |
2 | Stationery received in HPOS upload folder In HPOS support: - Select Reply and in the free text field, key the following text:
- Submit PBS stationery orders through PBS Stationery Online Ordering in 'My Programs'
PBS Stationery order forms should not be submitted in HPOS Form Upload. Any forms submitted this way will not be processed - Select Send
- In PaNDA:
- add a processing note 'HPOS not actioned, replied in HPOS support'
- Complete the file
|
3 | HPOS item has multiple patient prescriptions Dear Prescriber/Delegate, Please note that all application forms/prescriptions must be uploaded separately in Health Professional Online Services (HPOS). Submitting multiple forms in the one message will result in each form not having a unique reference number meaning tracking may be difficult and delays to processing may occur. We have separated the files on this occasion, but multiple applications/prescriptions may be returned to you for individual submission in future. |
4 | HPOS item is a duplicate, and a response has been sent to the previous HPOS item Please note, this prescription has already been assessed, and your response can be found in HPOS reference number XXXXXXXX. |
5 | HPOS item is a duplicate, and a response has not been sent to the previous HPOS item Send appropriate outcome, for example, approval or rejection. See Table 4 on the Process page. |
6 | Incorrect HPOS response sent Please disregard the previous message. |
Details for extemporaneously prepared benefits
Table 4: this table contains a list of codes, maximum quantities and number of repeats for extemporaneously prepared benefits.
PB Code | Preparation name | Maximum Quantity | Number of repeats |
13Q | Creams | 100g | 1 |
48M | Dusting powders | 100g | 1 |
15T | Ear drops | 15ml | 2 |
19B | Eye drops with Cocaine Hydrochloride | 15ml | |
22E | Eye drops, Other | 15ml | 5 |
23F | Eye lotions | 200ml | 2 |
29M | Inhalations | 50ml | 1 |
64J | Linctuses containing Codeine Phosphate | 100ml | |
34T | Linctuses, Other | 100ml | 2 |
39C | Lotions | 200ml | 2 |
65K | Mixtures containing Codeine Phosphate | 200ml | |
40D | Mixtures, Other | 200ml | 4 |
66L | Mixtures, Children with Codeine Phosphate | 100ml | |
41E | Mixtures for Children, Other | 100ml | 4 |
30N | Mouth washes | 200ml | 1 |
42F | Nasal instillations | 15ml | 2 |
43G | Ointments, Waxes | 100g | 1 |
44H | Paints | 25ml | 1 |
63H | Pastes containing Cocaine Hydrochloride | 25g | |
45J | Pastes, Other | 100g | 1 |
49N | Powders for internal use | 100g | 2 |
52R | Solutions | 200ml | 2 |
Extemporaneously prepared pharmaceutical benefits
Table 5: this table contains a list of common names for items included in extemporaneously prepared pharmaceutical benefits.
Commonly known as | Drug Tariff name |
Alcohol, ethyl alcohol, SVR | Ethanol |
BOZ ointment | Boric acid, olive oil and zinc oxide (standard formula) |
Burrows Solution/Lotion | Aluminium Acetate Solution |
Carbolic acid | Phenol liquefied |
Condy's crystals | Potassium permanganate |
Glycerine | Glycerol |
Glycyrrhiza liq | Liquorice liquid extract |
Iron Sulfate | Ferrous Sulfate |
Lanolin Hydrous | Wool fat hydrous |
Lassar's paste | Zinc and salicylic acid paste |
LPC (Liquor Picis Carb) | Coal tar solution |
Meth. Spirit | Methylated Industrial Spirit, SVI |
Normal saline, NaCl solution, Salt solution | Sodium Chloride solution |
Oil Ricini | Castor Oil |
Sal. Acid | Salicylic acid |
Sorbolene cream | Cetomacrogol aqueous cream |
Sulphur | Sulfur |
UEA Note: Urea is different from UEA and is not a benefit. | Aqueous cream |
Vitamin C | Ascorbic acid |
WSP Note: Vaseline® is not a benefit. | Paraffin soft white |
YSP | Paraffin soft yellow |
Contact details for prescribers and delegates
Table 6: this table provides the teams to contact for help with enquiries from prescribers and their delegates. This is for when they have issues uploading PBS or Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (RPBS) Authority application forms directly to Services Australia or DVA via HPOS Secure Form Upload.
Item | Description |
Prescriber is unable to link their PBS prescriber number as an identifier in HPOS | Responsible team: - eBusiness (external)
- Option 4
Hours of operation:8 am - 5 pm (local time), Monday to Friday |
Prescriber or delegate is unable to request/grant delegation in HPOS | Responsible team: - eBusiness (external)
- Option 4
Hours of operation:8 am - 5 pm (local time), Monday to Friday |
Caller does not have an approved PBS prescriber number | Responsible team:- Provider registration
- Option 2
Hours of operation:8.30 am - 5 pm |
Prescriber or delegate is not sure what category or form type to choose when uploading a PBS complex drug authority application | Responsible team:- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- 1800 700 270
Hours of operation:8 am - 5 pm |
Prescriber or delegate is not sure what category or form type to choose when uploading a RPBS authority application | Responsible team: VAPAC Authority approvals - RPBS Schedule Hours of operation:8 am - 5 pm |
Prescriber or delegate is following up on a PBS complex drug authority application submitted via HPOS secure form upload | Responsible team:- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- 1800 700 270
Hours of operation:8 am - 5 pm |
Prescriber or delegate is following up on a RPBS authority application submitted via HPOS secure form upload | Responsible team: VAPAC Authority approvals - RPBS Schedule Hours of operation:8 am - 5 pm |
FAQs from service officers
Table 7
Item | Description |
1 | Why do staff have to upload documents in OPA when they are already in Work Optimiser? Having records in OPA makes sure there is a transparent and simple way for prescribers and staff to securely access data, in particular historical patient data. This means it: - provides consistency in the data, regardless of how the Authority request is submitted. For example. external or internal
- saves staff from having to open the Work Optimiser record if there is a query about an authority. Everything needed should be in the authority record in either the:
- Q&As (Application form details), or
- attached documents
|
2 | Where do staff find the documents to upload to OPA? Prescribers must provide documents as outlined in the relevant restriction. This could be: - test results
- images
- assessment results/reports contained in the PDF forms
Prescribers will either: - attach the documents directly in OPA.
- Staff can open the hyperlink in OPA to view and/or assess these documents
- upload the documents through HPOS form upload, or
- post documents
For documents uploaded through HPOS form upload or mailed in: - these are scanned into Work Optimiser, and
- staff download the documents and upload to OPA
For details on how to assess documents, see the Operational Blueprint pages for the relevant programs. |
3 | Can service officers amend the Authority Prescription Number for an approved authority for an e-prescription? Yes, staff can amend the Authority Prescription Number for an e-prescription. To prevent errors occurring at the point of dispensing, follow the call wrap up procedure. |
HSD approval number prefixes
Table 8: lists the Highly Specialised Drugs (HSD) approval number prefixes that show with an Approval number in the Online Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Authorities System (OPA System), and their pharmacy dispensing restrictions.
Note: these HSD prefixes will help pharmacists determine if their type of pharmacy is eligible to dispense and claim the HSD prescription.
See Highly Specialised Drugs (HSD) in public hospitals.
Prefix | Description | Eligible pharmacy type |
CAR | Complex Authority required HSD (private and public hospital) | - Community
- Public hospital - public hospital item only
- Private hospital - private hospital item only
|
HSD | HSD Community Access items | - Community
- Public hospital
- Private Hospital
- Approved medical practitioners (dispensing doctors)
|
PTE | Private hospital | - Private hospital
- Community
|
PUB | Public hospital | |
TRZ | Trastuzumab | - Community
- Public hospital
- Private hospital
|
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