{"id":"F2017L00141","name":"National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2017 (PB 14 of 2017)","slug":"national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":95815,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2017L00141-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2017 (PB 14 of 2017)","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\nPB 14 of 2017\n\nNational Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2017\n\nNational Health Act 1953\n\nI, JULIANNE QUAINE, Assistant Secretary, Pharmaceutical Access Branch, Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, Department of Health, delegate of the Minister for Health, make this special arrangement under subsections 100(1) and (2) of the National Health Act 1953.\n\nDated 17 February 2017\n\nJulianne Quaine\n\nAssistant Secretary\n\nPharmaceutical Access Branch\n\nPharmaceutical Benefits Division\n\nDepartment of Health\n\n1 Name of Instrument\n\n(1) This instrument is the National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2017.\n\n(2) This instrument may also be cited as PB 14 of 2017.\n\n2 Commencement\n\nThis Special Arrangement commences on 1 March 2017.\n\n3 Revocation\n\nThe National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2016 (PB 59 of 2016) is revoked.\n\n4 Definitions\n\nIn these arrangements:\n\nAct means the National Health Act 1953.\n\napproved supplier means the approved supplier whose name, address and approval number are specified in Column 2 of the Schedule to this Special Arrangement opposite the name of the hospital in Column 1 of the Schedule.\n\nauthority prescription means an authority prescription as defined in the Regulations.\n\nhospital means each hospital whose name and address is specified in Column 1 of the Schedule to this Special Arrangement.\n\nin-patient of the hospital means a person who occupies a bed in the hospital for the purpose of hospital treatment, but does not include a member of the staff of the hospital who is receiving treatment in his or her own quarters.\n\nmedication chart means a paper based medication chart.\n\nmedication chart prescription has the meaning given by subregulation 19AA(1) of the Regulations.\n\nother Special Arrangement means another Special Arrangement under section 100 of the Act.\n\nRegulations means the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960.\n\nRules means the rules under subsection 99AAA (8) and subsection 98AC (4) of the Act.\n\nNote: Terms used in this Special Arrangement have the same meaning as in the Act – see section 13 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. These terms include:\n\n-   Chief Executive Medicare\n\n-   PBS prescriber\n-   pharmaceutical benefit\n-   Secretary\n\n5 Application of Part VII of the Act\n\n(1) Each pharmaceutical benefit supplied in accordance with this Special Arrangement is supplied under Part VII of the Act.\n\n(2) A provision of Part VII of the Act, or of regulations or other instruments made for Part VII of the Act, applies subject to this Special Arrangement.\n\n> Note: See subsection 100(3) of the Act.\n\n6 Pharmaceutical benefits covered by this Special Arrangement\n\n(1) This Special Arrangement applies to a pharmaceutical benefit which is generally available for supply under Part VII of the Act.\n\n(2) This Special Arrangement does not apply to a pharmaceutical benefit that can only be supplied under Part VII of the Act in accordance with any other Special Arrangement under section 100 of the Act.\n\n(3) This Special Arrangement does not apply to a pharmaceutical benefit prescribed using a medication chart prescription.\n\nNote: Section 85AA of the Act provides that a pharmaceutical benefit that can only be supplied under Part VII of the Act in accordance with section 100 of the Act will be the subject of a subsection 85(2A) declaration (section 100 only drug), or a determination under paragraph 85(8) (a) (section 100 only pharmaceutical benefit) or paragraph 85(8) (b) (section 100 only circumstances).\n\n7 Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits\n\n(1) A medication chart prepared and signed by a PBS prescriber on which is prescribed a pharmaceutical benefit for the treatment of the in-patient of the hospital who is named on the medication chart, will be taken to be a prescription, written in accordance with regulation 19 of the Regulations, provided that:\n\n(a) the location within the hospital of the in-patient for whose treatment the medication chart was prepared will be taken to be the address of that in-patient for the purpose of paragraph 19(1)(d) of the Regulations; and\n\n(b) the medication chart bears the number of the Medicare card, including the sub-numerate, which applies to the in-patient for whose treatment the medication chart was prepared; and\n\n(c) in the case of a medication chart prepared in respect of an in-patient of the hospital who is not a general patient within the meaning of subsection 84(1) of the Act, the medication chart bears the matters prescribed by regulation 19A of the Regulations; and\n\n(d) the medication chart bears the identification number issued by the Chief Executive Medicare to the PBS prescriber, according to regulation 8A of the Regulations, who prescribed the pharmaceutical benefit; and\n\n(e) if the medication chart directs, pursuant to paragraph 85A(2)(b) of the Act and subparagraph 19(1)(f)(ii) of the Regulations, that the supply of the pharmaceutical benefit is to be repeated, that direction will be invalid; and\n\n(f) if the medication chart directs the supply of an increased quantity of the pharmaceutical benefit pursuant to subsection 88(6) of the Act and regulation 24 of the Regulations, that direction will be taken to be a direction to supply the maximum quantity for that pharmaceutical benefit determined under paragraph 85A(2)(a) of the Act; and\n\n(g) the medication chart does not prescribe a pharmaceutical benefit that requires an authority prescription.\n\n8 Supply and Claiming of Pharmaceutical Benefits\n\n(1) This Special Arrangement applies to the supply of pharmaceutical benefits by approved suppliers to the in-patients of the hospitals specified in Column 1 of the Schedule.\n\n(2) The approved supplier will supply pharmaceutical benefits to in-patients of the hospital as if medication charts were original prescriptions, provided that:\n\n(a) where a medication chart contains a direction to supply more than one pharmaceutical benefit, the approved supplier must not, pursuant to regulation 26A of the Regulations, defer the supply of one or more of the benefits; and\n\n(b) in lieu of the requirements of regulation 31 of the Regulations, the approved supplier or a person authorised for the purpose by the approved supplier, certifies on the medication chart that the pharmaceutical benefit has been supplied and the date on which it was supplied, and signs his or her name.\n\n(2) The approved supplier must prepare an electronic pharmacy record in respect of each medication chart where a pharmaceutical benefit has been supplied to an in-patient of the hospital for which a claim is made under section 99AAA of the Act, and must retain that electronic pharmacy record for not less than two years after the day on which the pharmaceutical benefit was supplied.\n\n(3) The electronic pharmacy record referred to in subsection (3) must contain all information required to be included in a prescription record by the Schedule to the Rules under section 99AAA of the Act for an online claim.\n\n(4) Subject to subsection (6), a claim by the approved supplier in respect of pharmaceutical benefits supplied to in-patients of the hospital may be furnished unaccompanied by the medication charts in respect of which pharmaceutical benefits have been supplied to in-patients of the hospital.\n\n(5) If the Secretary notifies the hospital that a copy of all or any of the electronic pharmacy records in respect of pharmaceutical benefits supplied to in-patients of the hospital is required to be submitted, the approved supplier shall submit a copy of each such electronic pharmacy record to the Chief Executive Medicare (on behalf of the Secretary).\n\n(6) If the Secretary notifies the hospital that a copy of all or any of the medication charts in respect of pharmaceutical benefits supplied to in-patients of the hospital is required to be submitted, the hospital shall submit a copy of each such medication chart to the Department of Health.\n\n(7) Information provided by electronic means to the Chief Executive Medicare by the approved supplier in respect of a claim in respect of pharmaceutical benefits supplied to in-patients of the hospital must conform to the requirements of the Rules made under section 99AAA of the Act for an online claim and the associated provision of under co-payment data under section 98AC of the Act.\n\n9 Transitionals\n\n(1) If a pharmaceutical benefit was prescribed for an in-patient of a hospital under the previous Special Arrangement, and the supply was not made prior to the commencement of this Special Arrangement, the supply of the pharmaceutical benefit is taken to have been validly prescribed under this Special Arrangement, and may be supplied to the in-patient of the hospital under this Special Arrangement.\n\n(2) In this section the previous Special Arrangement means the National Health (Multiple Hospitals Paperless Claiming Trial) Special Arrangement 2016 (PB 59 of 2016), as in force immediately before 1 March 2017.\n\n  \n\nSchedule\n\n| Column 1 – Name and Address for Hospital                                                 | Column 2 – Name, address and approval number of approved supplier                                                                             |\n| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Cotham Private Hospital,209 Cotham roadKew, Victoria 3101                                | Sarah Thurlow, Kirsten Boyce and Angus ChungHPS Pharmacies Knox262 Mountain HighwayWantirna, Victoria 3152Approval number 23646M              |\n| Knox Private Hospital262 Mountain HighwayWantirna, Victoria 3152                         | Sarah Thurlow, Kirsten Boyce and Angus ChungHPS Pharmacies Knox262 Mountain HighwayWantirna, Victoria 3152Approval number 23646M              |\n| St Vincent’s Private Hospital East Melbourne159 Grey StreetEast Melbourne, Victoria 3002 | HPS Pharmacies – East MelbourneSt Vincent’s Private Hospital East Melbourne159 Grey StreetEast Melbourne, Victoria 3002Approval number 24503P |\n| St Vincent’s Private Hospital Fitzroy59-61 Victoria ParadeFitzroy, Victoria 3065         | HPS Pharmacies – FitzroySt Vincent’s Private Hospital Fitzroy59 Victoria ParadeFitzroy, Victoria 3065Approval number 24486R                   |\n| St Vincent’s Private Hospital Kew5 Studley Ave,Kew, Victoria 3101                        | Dominic Coppola and Agnes GowerHPS Pharmacies – KewSt Vincent’s Private Hospital Kew5 Studley AvenueKew, Victoria 3101Approval Number HV291R  |\n| The Avenue Hospital40 The AvenueWindsor, Victoria 3181                                   | Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty LtdThe Avenue Hospital40 The AvenueWindsor, Victoria 3181Approval number HV252Q                              |\n| Warringal Private Hospital216 Burgundy StreetHeidelberg, Victoria 3084                   | Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty LtdWarringal Private Hospital216 Burgundy StreetHeidelberg, Victoria 3084Approval number HV060N              |","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":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation maintains its original narrow scope as a time-limited trial arrangement for specific hospitals. It does not expand beyond the paperless claiming trial purpose established in the 2016 predecessor instrument, merely revoking and replacing that earlier version with updated participant details and operational refinements."},"complexity_factors":["Moderate cross-referencing: heavy reliance on external instruments including the National Health Act 1953, National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960, and unspecified 'Rules' under sections 99AAA and 98AC of the Act","Conditional logic with 7 specific requirements in section 7(1) (paragraphs a-g) that must all be satisfied for medication charts to be valid prescriptions","Nested exceptions: excludes authority prescriptions, medication chart prescriptions (distinct from medication charts), and pharmaceutical benefits covered by other Special Arrangements","9 defined terms in section 4, plus implicit definitions through note referencing the Legislative Instruments Act 2003","Transitional provision handling continuity from the revoked 2016 instrument","Specific operational constraints: no repeats allowed, increased quantity directions converted to maximum quantity, no deferral of supply permitted for multi-item charts"],"plain_english_summary":"This law authorises a time-limited paperless trial at seven specified Victorian private hospitals allowing in‑patient medication charts to serve as prescriptions so approved hospital pharmacies can submit PBS claims electronically without sending paper prescriptions. Pharmacies must retain electronic records and originals on request.\n\nThe trial reduces paperwork for hospitals and suppliers while keeping accountability through record‑keeping and government inspection."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument revokes the 2016 Special Arrangement and continues the paperless-claiming trial for a set list of hospitals and approved suppliers, preserving supplies validly prescribed under the previous arrangement. No broader expansion of eligible hospitals, suppliers, or categories of pharmaceutical benefits is introduced in the text (see sections 3 and 9)."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-references to primary legislation, Regulations and Rules (Act, National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960, Rules under ss 99AAA/98AC) increase interpretive complexity (see sections 4, 5, 8(7)).","Conversion of a medication chart into a legally valid prescription is conditional on multiple specific requirements (Medicare number, prescriber ID, patient type, disallowing certain directions) creating a checklist of compliance points (see section 7(a)–(g)).","Record-keeping and data-content obligations for electronic pharmacy records (must contain all information required for an online claim) plus a 2-year retention period impose operational and IT requirements on suppliers (see section 8(2)–(3)).","Claims may be made without paper charts, but the Secretary retains discretionary powers to demand submission of either electronic records or original charts, introducing conditional downstream compliance burden and administrative risk (see section 8(4)–(6)).","Restrictions on scope: excludes pharmaceutical benefits that require authority prescriptions or those tied to other special arrangements, requiring suppliers to screen applicability (see section 6(2)–(3)).","Supply rules altered in narrow ways (e.g. cannot defer supply where multiple benefits directed; certification on chart substitutes for existing regulation 31), which changes pharmacy workflow and liability anchors (see section 8(2)(a)–(b)).","Transitional provision carrying over prescriptions from the revoked 2016 arrangement introduces continuity but requires checking which prior supplies remain valid (see section 9(1)–(2); revocation in section 3).","The instrument is geographically and supplier-limited by a Schedule mapping specific hospitals to approved suppliers, so applicability is discrete and requires cross-check with the Schedule (see Schedule and definitions in section 4)."],"plain_english_summary":"This arrangement lets specified private hospitals treat a paper medication chart as a valid prescription for PBS supply and allows approved suppliers to make electronic (paperless) PBS claims without submitting the original charts. Approved suppliers must create and keep detailed electronic pharmacy records for at least two years, and the Department can require submission of those records or the original charts. The change affects hospitals, PBS prescribers, and approved suppliers by shifting record-keeping and claiming from paper to electronic processes."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017","history":"/api/acts/national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017/history","analysis":"/api/acts/national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/national-health-multiple-hospitals-paperless-claiming-trial-special-arrangement-2017-pb-14-of-2017/documents"}}