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

One prescriber number is allocated per profession. When an eligible health professional provides services in a second health profession, which is also eligible to prescribe under the PBS, then a second prescriber number is allocated on the provider stem for that health profession. The National Health Act 1953 provides details about eligible PBS prescribers. The References page contains a link to the Act.

A prescriber number may be allocated to a registered medical practitioner, dentist, authorised optometrist, authorised nurse practitioner, or authorised midwife.

A prescriber number can be allocated to a medical practitioner at the same time the provider stem is issued but 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).

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 Dental Board of Australia. This is a board supported by Ahpra. Dental Prosthetists are not eligible for a prescriber number.

A dentist may ask for a prescriber number via HPOS, as part of the Medicare Provider Number application. If the dentist applies for a prescriber number on its own, an Application for a Medicare provider number and, or prescriber number for allied health 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.

Applications from dentists must be approved by the authorised APS6 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated.

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 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'

An Optometrist may ask for a prescriber number via HPOS, as part of the Medicare Provider Number application. If the optometrist applies for a prescriber number on its own, a form for Application for a Medicare provider number and, or prescriber number for allied health 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.

Applications from Optometrists must be approved by the authorised APS6 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated.

An eligible nurse practitioner must be endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner on their Ahpra registration record for a prescriber number to be issued.

A Nurse Practitioner may ask for a prescriber number via HPOS as part of the Medicare Provider Number application. If they only apply for a prescriber number, the Application for a Medicare provider number and/or PBS prescriber number for a midwife or nurse practitioner (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 approved by an authorised APS6 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated.

A midwife needs a specific endorsement on their 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'

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

A midwife may ask for a prescriber number via HPOS as part of Medicare Provider Number application. If only applying for a prescriber number, the form Application for a Medicare provider number and/or PBS prescriber number for a midwife or nurse practitioner (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 approved by an authorised APS6 delegate before a prescriber number can be allocated.

Allied health 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.