{"id":"F2026L00043","name":"National Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement Amendment (Medication Charts for Complex Authority Required (CAR) and rituximab Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2026","slug":"national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443132,"registerId":"F2026L00043-fast-fetch-1775958041249","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"National Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement Amendment (Medication Charts for Complex Authority Required (CAR) and rituximab Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2026","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nPB 14 of 2026\n\n \n\nNational Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement Amendment (Medication Charts for Complex Authority Required (CAR) and rituximab Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2026\n\n \n\nNational Health Act 1953\n\n \n\nI, MARYKA GAUDIO, Acting Assistant Secretary, Community Access Programs Branch, Technology Assessment and Access Division, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, delegate of the Minister for Health and Ageing, make this Instrument under subsection 100(2) of the National Health Act 1953.\n\nDated   20 January 2026\n\nMARYKA GAUDIO\n\nActing Assistant Secretary\n\nCommunity Access Programs Branch\n\nTechnology Assessment and Access Division\n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Schedules\n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\nNational Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement 2021  (PB 27 of 2021) 2\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n1.       Name\n\n\n1.            This instrument is the National Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement Amendment (Medication Charts for Complex Authority Required (CAR) and rituximab Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2026.\n2.            This instrument may also be cited as PB 14 of 2026.\n\n\n1.       Commencement\n\n\n1.            Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument 1 February 2026 1 February 2026\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n1.            Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n\n1.       Authority\n\n\n This instrument is made under subsection 100(2) of the National Health Act 1953.\n\n1.       Schedules\n\n\n Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\nNational Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement 2021 (PB 27 of 2021)\n\n1.                    Subsection 18(1)\n\n\nRepeal the subsection.\n\n \n\n[2] Application of amendment\n\n              The amendment made by this Schedule applies to the special arrangement supply of an HSD pharmaceutical benefit that has a CAR drug or rituximab that is made on or after the commencement of this item if the supply is made on the basis of a prescription that was written before, on or after the commencement of this item.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This amendment stays tightly within the original scope of the Highly Specialised Drugs Program Special Arrangement 2021. It is a targeted technical amendment to streamline administrative processes for specific medicine categories, not an expansion of the program's purpose or coverage."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument — only 4 pages including cover and contents","Single substantive amendment: repeal of one subsection (18(1))","No defined terms section in this instrument (relies on parent instrument definitions)","Simple application provision with clear temporal scope","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","Straightforward commencement table with single date"],"plain_english_summary":"This change removes a rule that had limited supplying certain high-cost Complex Authority Required (CAR) medicines and rituximab via hospital medication charts, allowing hospitals to use their normal paper or electronic charts to authorise and track these drugs.  \n\nIt affects hospital pharmacists, clinicians and inpatients receiving CAR medicines or rituximab, streamlining workflows and reducing paperwork for supplies made on or after 1 February 2026."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument narrows or changes operational rules by removing subsection 18(1) of the 2021 Special Arrangement and replacing the applicable supply rule with a transitional provision that applies to supplies of HSD pharmaceutical benefits containing CAR drugs or rituximab made on or after 1 February 2026, regardless of when the prescription was written (Schedule 1, items 1 and [2])."},"complexity_factors":["Single, focused amendment: repeal of one subsection (Schedule 1, item 1).","Short transitional/application clause covering prescriptions written before, on or after commencement (Schedule 1 [2]).","Requires reference to the existing Special Arrangement 2021 to understand full operational effect (contextual cross-reference).","Legal authority via a delegation under subsection 100(2) of the National Health Act 1953 (instrument-making power).","Potential implementation questions limited to administrative practice rather than broad regulatory redesign."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument, commencing 1 February 2026, repeals subsection 18(1) of the National Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement 2021 and alters how the Special Arrangement applies to supplies containing Complex Authority Required (CAR) drugs and rituximab. The repeal and its transitional clause mean suppliers and prescribers must follow the revised supply rules for any HSD supply made on or after commencement, even where the prescription was written before that date (Schedule 1 items). It is made under subsection 100(2) of the National Health Act 1953."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for","history":"/api/acts/national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for/history","analysis":"/api/acts/national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/national-health-highly-specialised-drugs-program-special-arrangement-amendment-medication-charts-for/documents"}}