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Midwife PBS prescribing
MEDICINES WHICH MAY BE PRESCRIBED BY AUTHORISED MIDWIVES
From 1 September 2010, midwives endorsed to prescribe under state or territory legislation can apply for approval as PBS prescribers (authorised midwives). Information for midwives to become authorised PBS prescribers is available from Services Australia.
The medicines listed for prescribing by authorised midwives are identified by ‘MW’ in the PBS Schedule. Midwives must not write PBS prescriptions for other medicines.
PBS prescribing by midwives is limited by state and territory prescribing rights. It is also contingent on a prescriber being an authorised midwife and having collaborative arrangements in place, as required by amendments to the National Health Act 1953.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) is responsible for making recommendations to the Minister for Health regarding medicines for prescribing by authorised midwives.
Some medicines are included in more than one section of the Schedule, and for more than one prescriber type. For a prescription to be eligible for subsidy, prescribers must ensure that they prescribe under the PBS only those medicines, and in accordance with the restrictions, listed for their prescriber type. Listing details for the same product may differ between sections and different PBS item codes apply for each prescriber type.
Midwife PBS prescriptions are identifiable by colour, and include the indicator ‘MW’ on personalised forms and a tick box on non-personalised (blank) forms. Prescriptions must include the midwife’s PBS prescriber number. For unrestricted and restricted PBS medicines, midwives/nurse practitioners can use the personalised or non-personalised PBS prescriber forms. For authority required and authority required (streamlined) PBS medicines, midwives/nurse practitioners can use the authority personalised or non-personalised PBS prescriber forms. Midwife PBS prescriptions may include repeats.
Regulation 49 applies for midwife prescribing. A midwife can direct that original and repeat supplies of pharmaceutical benefits be supplied at the one time, if certain conditions are satisfied.
Authority prescriptions: Authority prescriptions for authority required items, or for increased quantities or repeats, require prior approval from Services Australia for each prescription. (Refer to Prescribing Medicines—Information for PBS prescribers and Supplying Medicines — What Pharmacists Need to Know, for more information on authority prescriptions.)
State and Territory requirements: Midwives may prescribe medicines as private prescriptions according to their state/territory prescribing accreditation. The medicines which can be prescribed differ between states and territories. It is the midwife’s responsibility to ensure adherence to state/territory law for all prescriptions (PBS and private) and additionally to all PBS requirements for PBS prescriptions.
- Legend
- MPMedical Practitioner
- MWMidwife
- NPNurse Practitioner
- OPOptometrist
| Prescriber code | Item code | Name, manner of administration and form & strength | Max qty packs |
Max qty units |
No. of repeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPMWNP | 1884E | AMOXICILLINamoxicillin 250 mg capsule, 20 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1889K | AMOXICILLINamoxicillin 500 mg capsule, 20 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1891M | AMOXICILLIN + CLAVULANIC ACIDamoxicillin 500 mg + clavulanic acid 125 mg tablet, 10 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1775K | BENZYLPENICILLINbenzylpenicillin 600 mg injection, 1 vial | 10 | 10 | 1 |
| MPMWNP | 11963P | CEFALEXINcefalexin 250 mg capsule, 20 | 2 | 40 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 3058Y | CEFALEXINcefalexin 250 mg capsule, 20 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 11934D | CEFALEXINcefalexin 500 mg capsule, 20 | 2 | 40 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 3119E | CEFALEXINcefalexin 500 mg capsule, 20 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| MPMWNPOP | 11112W | CHLORAMPHENICOLchloramphenicol 0.5% eye drops, 10 mL | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| MPMWNP | 3138E | CLINDAMYCINclindamycin 150 mg capsule, 24 | 2 | 48 | 1 |
| MPMWNP | 1302M | DICLOFENACdiclofenac sodium 100 mg suppository, 20 | 2 | 40 | 3 |
| MPMWNP | 8121K | DICLOXACILLINdicloxacillin 250 mg capsule, 24 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 8122L | DICLOXACILLINdicloxacillin 500 mg capsule, 24 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 8487Q | ETONOGESTRELetonogestrel 68 mg implant, 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1526H | FLUCLOXACILLINflucloxacillin 250 mg capsule, 24 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1527J | FLUCLOXACILLINflucloxacillin 500 mg capsule, 24 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1440T | FRAMYCETIN SULFATEframycetin sulfate 0.5% eye/ear drops, 8 mL | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| MPMWNP | 3192B | IBUPROFENibuprofen 400 mg tablet, 30 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 2913H | LEVONORGESTRELlevonorgestrel 30 microgram tablet, 112 tablets [4 x 28] | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| MPMWNP | 2530E | LINCOMYCINlincomycin 600 mg/2 mL injection, 5 x 2 mL vials | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 11380Y | LINCOMYCINlincomycin 600 mg/2 mL injection, 5 x 2 mL ampoules | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1206L | METOCLOPRAMIDEmetoclopramide hydrochloride 10 mg/2 mL injection, 10 x 2 mL ampoules | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1207M | METOCLOPRAMIDEmetoclopramide hydrochloride 10 mg tablet, 25 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1644M | MORPHINEmorphine sulfate pentahydrate 10 mg/mL injection, 5 x 1 mL ampoules | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1645N | MORPHINEmorphine sulfate pentahydrate 15 mg/mL injection, 5 x 1 mL ampoules | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 10864T | MORPHINEmorphine hydrochloride trihydrate 10 mg/mL injection, 5 x 1 mL ampoules | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| MPMWNP | 1693D | NITROFURANTOINnitrofurantoin 100 mg capsule, 30 | 1 | 30 | 1 |
| MPMWNP | 1692C | NITROFURANTOINnitrofurantoin 50 mg capsule, 30 | 1 | 30 | 1 |
| MPMWNP | 12598C | PROGESTERONEprogesterone 200 mg pessary, 42 | 1 | 42 | 3 |
| MPMWNP | 12465C | PROGESTERONEprogesterone 200 mg pessary, 15 | 3 | 45 | 3 |
| MPMWNP | 1978D | RANITIDINEranitidine 150 mg tablet, 60 | 1 | 60 | 5 |
