Growth hormone deficiency - paediatric patients Program in Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) 012-63030010

The administration of the GH Program transferred from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to Services Australia on 1 September 2015 as a prescription based program. PBS-subsidised GH remains as a special arrangement under Section 100 of the National Health Act 1953.

Listing dates:

• somatropin - 1 September 2015
• somatrogon - 1 October 2022
• somapacitan - 1 July 2026

See Written Authority Required Drugs for more details.

Conditions treated by somatropin under the GH Program (paediatric use):

• short stature and slow growth (SSSG)
• short stature associated with biochemical growth hormone deficiency (BGHD)
• growth retardation secondary to an intracranial lesion, or cranial irradiation (CL/CI)
• hypothalamic-pituitary disease secondary to a structural lesion, with hypothalamic obesity driven growth (HO)
• risk of hypoglycaemia secondary to GH deficiency in neonates/infants (N)
• biochemical GH deficiency and precocious puberty (PP)
• short stature associated with Turner syndrome (TS)
• short stature due to short stature homeobox gene disorders (SHOX)
• short stature associated with chronic renal insufficiency (CR)
• short stature and poor body composition due to Prader-Willi syndrome (PW)

Conditions treated by somapacitan and somatrogon under the GH Program (paediatric use):

• SSSG
• short stature associated with BGHD

All GH applications will be assessed and processed by a Complex Drugs Pharmaceutical Adviser (PA).

Processing in Online PBS Authorities (OPA) system

All paediatric GH applications can be processed using the OPA system regardless of the treatment and condition combination.

Prescribers can submit their PBS GH authority applications in OPA and receive a real time assessment result.

Patients can take their GH approved PBS authority prescription to a pharmacy of their choice.

Transfer enquiries about prescription arrangements to PBS Complex Drugs Programs and choose the option relevant to the condition treated.