Prescriber number for health professionals in Medicare 012-42010030

A prescriber number:

• uniquely identifies a health professional who is eligible to prescribe medication under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• is not location specific
• may be allocated to a:
  • registered medical practitioner
  • dentist
  • authorised optometrist
  • authorised nurse prescriber
  • authorised nurse practitioner, or
  • authorised midwife

One prescriber number is allocated per profession.

An authorised nurse practitioner and authorised nurse prescriber who wish to prescribe medications while working under different professions at different locations must apply for and be authorised under each profession. For example, an authorised nurse practitioner at one location and an authorised nurse prescriber at another.

They will receive the same prescriber number, which they can use in both capacities.

Eligible health professionals are allocated a second prescriber number if they provide services in a second health profession, and are eligible to prescribe under the PBS.

The second prescriber number is allocated on the provider stem for the health professional. The National Health Act 1953 provides details about eligible PBS prescribers.

The References page contains a link to the Act.

Applications received should not be processed on the same day, due to system and data-feed timing.

Processing prior to the overnight Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) data-feed refresh may result in incomplete or outdated information being used to assess the application.

A prescriber number can be allocated to a medical practitioner at the same time the provider stem is issued. However, this is dependent on any medical registration or legislative restrictions.

A medical practitioner may ask for a prescriber number when completing the Application for a Medicare provider number and/or prescriber number for a medical practitioner form (HW019).

The Resources page contains a link to the form.

To be eligible to be issued with a prescriber number, a medical practitioner must hold registration with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

To be eligible to be issued with a prescriber number, a Dental Practitioner or Dental Specialist must hold registration to practice with the Dental Board of Australia. This board is supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Dental Prosthetists are not eligible for a prescriber number.

An eligible dentist may apply to be recognised as a participating dental practitioner and receive a prescriber number through HPOS, as part of the Medicare provider number application. If the eligible dentist applies for a prescriber number on its own, an Application for a Medicare provider number or prescriber number for allied health, other primary health care, and non-medical health professionals form (HW093) can be completed. However, they must have an existing provider number.

The Resources page contains a link to the form.

An application must be assessed by an authorised APS5 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated or refused.

The following are not eligible for a prescriber number, therefore cannot be issued with a prescriber number:

• Representative public dentists (RPDs)
• Representative public dental practitioners (RPDPs)
• Dental prosthetists
• Dental hygienists
• Dental therapists, and
• Oral health therapists

Optometrists whose Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration has an endorsement confirming their eligibility to prescribe medications can be issued with a prescriber number. Their registration record with the Optometry Board of Australia, must include the endorsement:

• 'Endorsed as qualified to administer, obtain, possess, prescribe, supply or use topical schedule 2, 3 or 4 medicines for the purposes of the practice of Optometry'

Optometrists are not eligible for a prescriber number when the registration record contains the following notation:

• 'The Optometrist is not qualified for endorsement for scheduled medicines and is not able to prescribe Schedule 4 medicines for the treatment of conditions of the eye', or
• 'Scheduled Medicine'

An eligible optometrist may apply to become an authorised optometrist and receive a prescriber number through HPOS as part of the Medicare provider number application. If the eligible optometrist applies for a prescriber number on its own, an Application for a Medicare provider number or prescriber number for allied health, other primary health care, and non-medical health professionals form (HW093) can be completed. However, they must have an existing provider number.

The Resources page contains a link to the form.

An application must be assessed by an authorised APS5 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated or refused.

An eligible nurse practitioner must be endorsed as a nurse practitioner on their Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration record for a prescriber number to be issued.

An eligible nurse practitioner may ask to be authorised for a prescriber number via HPOS > Create new location as part of the Medicare provider number additional location application. If they only apply to be recognised as a nurse practitioner and receive a prescriber number, the Application for a Medicare provider number and/or prescriber number for a nurse practitioner or midwife form (HW088) can be completed. However, they must have an existing provider number.

If an eligible nurse practitioner has an existing prescriber number as an authorised nurse prescriber, they can provide that prescriber number when applying.

The Resources page contains a link to the form.

An application must be assessed by an authorised APS5 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated or refused.

An eligible nurse prescriber can apply to become an authorised nurse prescriber and receive a prescriber number when they:

• have general registration to practise with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia which is supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), and the:
  • Profession field states ‘Nurse - Nurse Prescriber’
  • Endorsements field states ‘Endorsed as qualified to administer, obtain, possess, prescribe, supply and/or use Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines for the purposes of prescribing as a designated registered nurse prescriber with an authorised health practitioner within the scope of registered nurse practice’
• hold an active prescribing agreement (a nurse prescriber agreement), in place with one or more Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescribers, none of whom is an authorised nurse prescriber.
  Note: there is no requirement for staff to physically view this agreement

Eligible nurse prescribers can apply via HPOS > My digital prescriber number registration or by submitting the Application to become an authorised nurse prescriber and receive a prescriber number form (HW097).

If an eligible nurse prescriber has an existing prescriber number as a nurse practitioner, they can provide that prescriber number when applying.

An application must be approved by an authorised APS5 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated.

The Resources page contains a link to the form.

For more details, see Eligible and authorised nurse prescribers - registration and eligibility.

An eligible midwife needs a specific endorsement on their Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration record that reads:

• 'An endorsed midwife qualified to prescribe schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines and to provide associated services required for midwifery practice in accordance with relevant state and territory legislation' or
• 'Endorsed as qualified to prescribe schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines required for midwifery practice across pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care, in accordance with relevant State and Territory legislation', or
• 'Scheduled Medicine'

When appropriate endorsement is not present, a prescriber number must not be issued.

An eligible midwife may apply to become an authorised midwife and receive a prescriber number through HPOS as part of Medicare provider number application. If only applying for a prescriber number, the Application for a Medicare provider number and/or prescriber number for a nurse practitioner or midwife form (HW088) can be completed. However, they must have an existing provider number.

The Resources page contains a link to the form.

An application must be assessed by an authorised APS5 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated or refused.

Other primary health care professionals are not eligible for a prescriber number because they are not authorised to prescribe under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Further enquiries about applying for a prescriber number should be directed to Medicare Provider Registration support.