41Writing prescriptions—medication chart prescriptions

#### 41 Writing prescriptions—medication chart prescriptions Writing prescription by completing section of medication chart (1) A PBS 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) an approved residential care home in which the person is accessing funded aged care services through the service group residential care (within the meaning of the Aged Care Act 2024); or (ii) an approved hospital; and (b) the PBS prescriber completes a section of a medication chart for the person in relation to the pharmaceutical benefit in accordance with: (i) subsection (2); and (ii) if the prescription would be covered by paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of authority prescription—subsection (3); and (c) if the prescription is an electronic prescription—the electronic prescription is written in an electronic medication chart using an electronic medication chart system. > Note: For subparagraph (b)(ii), an authority prescription covered by paragraph (c) of the definition does not require an authority approval number to be a valid prescription, but an authority approval number may be needed for the special patient contribution to be payable by the Commonwealth under section 85B of the Act. Completing section of medication chart—general (2) A PBS 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 PBS prescriber writes in the section of the chart: (i) particulars to identify the pharmaceutical benefit in accordance with subsection (2A); 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 “PBS” or “RPBS”; and (b) the chart contains the following information: (i) the PBS prescriber’s given name, surname, address and PBS prescriber number; (ii) the patient’s full name; (iii) the name of the approved residential care home or approved hospital in or at which the patient is receiving treatment; (iv) if the patient is receiving treatment in or at an approved residential care home—the Residential Aged Care Service ID for the approved residential care home; (v) if the patient is receiving treatment in or at an approved hospital—the patient’s address; and (c) the PBS 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 the purpose of subsection 103(2A) of the Act, that only the brand of pharmaceutical benefit specified in the prescription is to be supplied; and (ea) if paragraph (2A)(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 45(4), which must be the day after 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) if the patient is receiving treatment in or at an approved residential care home and the chart is not an electronic medication chart—the pharmaceutical benefit is not referred to in Schedule 8 to the current Poisons Standard (within the meaning of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989); and (h) in any case—the section of the chart is completed before the end of the chart’s period of validity under subsection 45(3) or (4). > 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. > Note: Example: For the purposes of 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 11 July or 11 October in that year, or 11 June in the following year. (2A) For the purposes of subparagraph (2)(a)(i), the PBS 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 an approved residential care home 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 this subparagraph; particulars sufficient to identify the pharmaceutical benefit; or (b) otherwise: (i) each drug that the pharmaceutical benefit has; and (ii) if the PBS 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. (2B) If subparagraph (2A)(b)(ii) applies, the brand of the pharmaceutical item must be listed after the drugs that the pharmaceutical benefit has. (2C) Subsection (2A) 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 (3) A PBS 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: (a) the section of the chart contains: (i) each authority approval number for the prescription; or (ii) the relevant streamlined authority code for the pharmaceutical benefit that is prescribed; and (b) if the person is receiving treatment in or at an approved residential care home and subparagraph (a)(ii) does not apply—the chart is an electronic medication chart. Medication charts (4) A medication chart is a chart: (a) in a form (if any) approved under paragraph (5)(a); or (b) that meets the information requirements (if any) approved under paragraph (5)(b); that is used for prescribing, and recording the administration of, pharmaceutical benefits to persons receiving treatment in or at an approved residential care home or a hospital, whether or not the chart: (c) is used for any other purpose; or (d) contains any other information. > Note: For the purposes of 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. (5) For the purposes of subsection (4), the Secretary may, in writing: (a) approve one or more forms for a medication chart; or (b) approve information requirements that must be met in relation to a medication chart. Electronic medication charts (6) An electronic medication chart is a medication chart that: (a) is in a form approved under subsection (5); or (b) meets the information requirements approved under subsection (5); for the purpose of writing an electronic prescription.