Treatment specification
The PBS limits the amounts of a PBS-listed medicine in a prescription and the number of repeat prescriptions before you must be re-examined by your doctor.
Restrictions on medicines
Many medications on the PBS are subsidised for a specific patient group or indication.
There are three restriction categories:
- Unrestricted benefits: no restrictions apply to the therapeutic use;
- Restricted benefits: can only be prescribed for specific therapeutic uses; and
- Authority required benefits: to prescribe these, doctors need approval from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Your doctor must declare the specific conditions and circumstances that justify the use of these medicines. This is usually done by phone during the consultation or in the case of Streamlined Authority it is done electronically.