Writing prescription by completing section of medication chart
(1) An RPBS prescriber writes a prescription (a medication chart prescription) for a Pharmaceutical benefit in accordance with this section if:
(a) the person for whom the Pharmaceutical benefit is prescribed is receiving treatment in or at:
(i) a residential care service; or
(ii) an approved hospital; and
(b) the RPBS prescriber completes a section of a medication chart for the person in relation to the Pharmaceutical benefit in accordance with
(i) subsection (3) and
(ii) if the prescription would be an authority prescription other than an authority prescription referred to in subsection (4A) – subsection (4).
(2) A reference in the Scheme to a prescription, or a medication chart prescription, includes a reference to the completed section of the chart by which a medication chart prescription was written.
Completing section of medication chart—general
(3) An RPBS prescriber completes a section of a medication chart in accordance with this subsection for a person (the patient) in relation to a Pharmaceutical benefit if:
(a) the RPBS prescriber writes in the section of the chart:
(i) particulars to identify the Pharmaceutical benefit in accordance with subsection (3A); and
(ii) the date on which the Pharmaceutical benefit is prescribed; and
(iii) the Pharmaceutical benefit’s dose, frequency of administration and route of administration; and
(iv) the letters ‘RPBS’ or ‘DVA’; and
(b) the chart contains the following information:
(i) the RPBS prescriber’s full name, address and PBS prescriber number (if a PBS prescriber);
(ii) the patient’s full name;
(iii) the patient’s medicare number;
(iv) the number of any entitlement card or concession card held by the patient;
(v) if the patient is a concessional beneficiary or the dependant of a concessional beneficiary – the number of any card issued by the Commonwealth and held by the concessional beneficiary that is evidence that the patient is entitled to receive the Pharmaceutical benefit on terms appropriate for the supply of the benefit to a patient of that kind;
(vi) the name of the residential care service or approved hospital in or at which the patient is receiving treatment;
(vii) if the patient is receiving treatment in or at a residential care service—the Residential Aged Care Service ID for the residential care service;
(viii) if the patient is receiving treatment in or at an approved hospital—the patient’s address and;
(c) the RPBS prescriber writes his or her signature:
(i) in the section of the chart; and
(ii) except in the case of an electronic prescription—on the cover page of the chart; and
(d) the section of the chart does not provide for the supply of a Pharmaceutical benefit to more than one person; and
(e) the section of the chart is not completed using a computer program that operates, or may operate, to indicate on a prescription by default, for subsection 103(2A) of the National Health Act 1953, that only the brand of Pharmaceutical benefit specified in the prescription is to be supplied; and
(ea) if paragraph (3A)(b) of this section applies to the prescription—the section of the chart is not completed using a computer program that operates, or may operate, to indicate on a prescription by default a brand of the pharmaceutical item that the pharmaceutical benefit has; and
(f) if the patient is receiving treatment in or at an approved hospital—the chart specifies the day on which the chart’s period of validity ends under subsection 16AA(3A), which must be the last day of one of the following periods starting on the day the first prescription for a Pharmaceutical benefit is written in the chart:
(i) 1 month;
(ii) 4 months;
(iii) 12 months; and
(g) in any case—the section of the chart is completed before the end of the chart’s period of validity under subsection 16AA(3) or (3A).
Note: A section in a medication chart may set out fields that only need to have information filled in if the information is relevant to the particular prescription concerned.
Example: For paragraph (f), the first prescription is written in a medication chart on 11 June in a particular year. The day specified in the chart as the day on which the chart’s period of validity ends must be 10 July or 10 October in that year, or 10 June in the following year.
(3A) For the purposes of subparagraph (3)(a)(i), the RPBS prescriber must write in the section of the chart:
(a) if:
(i) the prescription is prepared by handwriting the prescription on the section of the chart; or
(ii) the prescription is for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit that has 4 or more drugs; or
(iii) the patient is receiving treatment in or at a residential care service and the medication chart is not an electronic medication chart; or
(iv) the prescription is for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit that is specified by the Secretary, in writing, for the purposes of subparagraph 40(2A)(a)(iii) of the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017; or
(v) the prescription is for the supply of a Pharmaceutical benefit listed under the heading “Various” in the RPBS Schedule;
particulars sufficient to identify the pharmaceutical benefit; or
(b) otherwise:
(i) each drug that the Pharmaceutical benefit has; and
(ii) if the RPBS prescriber considers that it is necessary for the medical treatment of the patient to identify a brand of the pharmaceutical item that the Pharmaceutical benefit has—the brand of the pharmaceutical item.
(3B) If subparagraph (3A)(b)(ii) applies, the brand of the pharmaceutical item must be listed after the drugs that the pharmaceutical benefit has.
(3C) Subsection (3A) does not apply to the extent that it would be contrary to a law of a State or Territory that would otherwise apply.
Completing section of medication chart—authority prescriptions
(4) An RPBS prescriber completes a section of a medication chart in accordance with this subsection for a person for the purpose of writing an authority prescription if the section of the chart contains:
(a) the authority approval number (if one is given); or
(b) the relevant streamlined authority code for the Pharmaceutical benefit that is prescribed.
Authority prescriptions that have been authorised in accordance with certain authority required procedures
(4A) Subparagraph (1)(b)(ii) does not apply to authority prescriptions that have been authorised in accordance with authority required procedures that are incorporated by reference into the circumstances determined for a Pharmaceutical benefit under subsection 85B(4) of the National Health Act 1953.
Note: If the authority required procedures referred to in subsection (4A) require a streamlined authority code or an authority approval number to be written on an authority prescription, and the code or number is not written on the authority prescription, the special patient contribution is not payable by the Commonwealth: see subsection 85B(4) of the National Health Act 1953.
Medication charts
(6) A medication chart is a chart in a form (if any) approved under subsection (7) that is used for prescribing, and recording the administration of, Pharmaceutical benefits to persons receiving treatment in or at a residential care service or a hospital, whether or not the chart :
(a) is used for any other purpose; or
(b) contains any other information.
Note: For paragraph (a), the chart may also be used (for example) to prescribe, and record the administration of drugs, medicines and other substances that are not Pharmaceutical benefits.
(7) The form of a medication chart is approved if the Secretary (as defined in the National Health Act 1953) has approved it.
Electronic medication charts
(8) An electronic medication chart is a medication chart in a form approved by the Secretary under subsection 41(5) of the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017 for the purpose of writing an electronic prescription.