HIGHLY SPECIALISED DRUGS PROGRAM (Public Hospital)

For Highly Specialised Drugs prescribed through public hospitals, claiming and approval of authority prescriptions is administered by Services Australia. Maximum quantities and repeats for Highly Specialised Drugs are listed in the Schedule. Highly Specialised Drugs prescribed through public hospitals, except Complex Authority Required Highly Specialised Drugs, are Authority required (STREAMLINED) PBS Prescriptions. Authority approvals are required for prescriptions where the dose is above the determined maximum quantity and/or number of repeats. Complex Authority Required Highly Specialised Drugs require written authority applications. Approval of authority prescriptions by Services Australia may be obtained either by posting an Authority Prescription Form to Services Australia, or by using the Services Australia Authority free-call service (1800 888 333). Prescribers must quote the provider number of the hospital when applying.

Public hospital prescriptions for Highly Specialised Drugs can be dispensed by public hospital pharmacies. A patient will be required to pay a contribution for each supply of a highly specialised drug at a similar rate to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Commonwealth subsidy is not available for hospital in-patients.

Reciprocal Health Care Agreement – Where a patient is entitled to be treated as an eligible person as a visitor from a country with which Australia has entered into a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, the supply will be limited to the original prescription only. Repeat prescriptions for these patients are not permitted.