{"id":"F2007B01110","name":"National Health Act 1953 - Declaration under subsection 85(2AA) (No. PB 15 of 1998)","slug":"national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":67882,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2007B01110-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"National Health Act 1953 - Declaration under subsection 85(2AA) (No. PB 15 of 1998)","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA\n\nNational Health Act 1953\n\nPHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS\n\nDECLARATION UNDER SUBSECTION 85 (2AA)\n\nNo. PB 15 of 1998\n\nI, DAVID TREVOR GRAHAM, Assistant Secretary, Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch, Department of Health and Family Services and Delegate of the Minister for Health and Family Services, having in accordance with subsection 85 (2AB) of the National Health Act 1953 obtained the advice of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, pursuant to subsection 85 (2AA) of the National Health Act 1953, hereby make the following Declaration:\n\n1.  This Declaration shall come into operation on 1 August 1998.\n\n2. The drugs and medicinal preparations specified in the Schedule to this Declaration shall cease to be drugs and medicinal preparations to which Part VII of the National Health Act 1953 applies.\n\nTHE SCHEDULE\n\nCalcitonin (Pork)\n\nCholine Theophyllinate\n\nEthynodiol Diacetate with Ethinyloestradiol\n\nLosartan Potassium\n\nMethenolone Acetate\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nDated this 9th day of July 1998.\n\nD. GRAHAM\n\nAssistant Secretary\n\nPharmaceutical Benefits Branch\n\nDepartment of Health and Family Services\n\nDelegate of the Minister for Health and Family Services","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":1180},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The declaration remains strictly limited to its original purpose of removing five specific pharmaceutical products from PBS coverage. No expansion of scope beyond the listed substances."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision with direct statutory reference (s 85(2AA))","No defined terms or interpretation clauses","Schedule contains only 5 specific chemical substances","No conditional logic, exceptions, or procedural requirements","Straightforward administrative instrument with immediate legal effect on 1 August 1998"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does:**\nThis document removes five specific prescription medications from Australia's **Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)** — the government program that subsidises the cost of medicines.\n\n**Who is affected:**\nPatients who were prescribed any of the following drugs, and the doctors/pharmacists who prescribed or dispensed them:\n- **Calcitonin (Pork)**\n- **Choline Theophyllinate**  \n- **Ethynodiol Diacetate with Ethinyloestradiol**\n- **Losartan Potassium**\n- **Methenolone Acetate**\n\n**What changed:**\nFrom **1 August 1998**, these medicines stopped being subsidised by the government. This meant patients had to pay the full commercial price rather than the reduced PBS co-payment. Doctors could still prescribe these drugs, but patients no longer received the government discount at the pharmacy.\n\n**Why this matters:**\nThis type of \"delisting\" usually happens when a drug is deemed no longer cost-effective, has safety concerns, or is replaced by better alternatives. For patients continuing these specific treatments, this change significantly increased out-of-pocket costs overnight."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998","history":"/api/acts/national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998/history","analysis":"/api/acts/national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/national-health-act-1953-declaration-under-subsection-85-2aa-no-pb-15-of-1998/documents"}}