19Authority required procedures

19 Authority required procedures

(1) This section applies if: (a) the circumstances under paragraph 85(7)(b) of the Act in which a prescription for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit may be written; or (b) the conditions under subsection 85A(2A) of the Act for writing a prescription for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit; include a requirement that writing the prescription must be authorised by the Chief Executive Medicare. Obtaining authority (2) When requesting authority to write a prescription, an authorised prescriber must provide details of the proposed prescription to the Chief Executive Medicare. (3) If the column of the table in Part 1 of Schedule 4 to this instrument headed “Authority Requirements” contains the statement “Compliance with Written Authority Required procedures”, the details must be provided in writing. (4) If the Chief Executive Medicare gives authority to write the prescription, the Chief Executive Medicare must allot a number to the prescription and tell the authorised prescriber that number.

Note: For requirements to write the allotted number on the prescription, see sections 40 and 41 of the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017.

Deemed authority (5) If the column of the table in Part 1 of Schedule 4 headed “Authority Requirements” includes a streamlined authority code, writing the prescription is taken to have been authorised by the Chief Executive Medicare.

Note: For requirements to write the streamlined authority code on the prescription, see sections 40 and 41 of the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017.