Updates and Resources for Remote Area Aboriginal Health Services (RAAHS) Prescriptions

Page last updated: 22 April 2026

A review of sample RAAHS prescriptions found several mandatory elements missing, including patient address, quantity, route of administration, prescriber’s address, and the service’s registration number.

RAAHS prescriptions that do not meet requirements with Commonwealth legislation may lead to processing delays or rejection. This is an opportunity to strengthen and further educate the RAAHS prescribing community.

Checklist for RAAHS Prescriptions

To comply with section 12 of the National Health (RAAHS Program) Special Arrangement 2017, the following requirements are to be met for RAAHS prescriptions.

Mandatory Elements

• States the name, address and (if known) Medicare number of the patient; and
• Identifies the pharmaceutical benefit by such particulars as are necessary to identify the pharmaceutical benefit; and
• States the quantity or number of units, and form, and strength of the pharmaceutical benefit to be supplied; and
• Indicates the pharmaceutical benefit’s dose, frequency and route of administration; and
• Is written and signed by a person mentioned in subsection (2); and
• subsection (2): A person is authorised to write a remote area Aboriginal health service prescription for a patient of an approved Aboriginal health service if the person is:
• a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescriber; and
• an employee or contractor of the Aboriginal Health Service; and
• qualified under the law of the relevant State or Territory to supply all eligible pharmaceutical benefits.
• States the name and address of the person writing the prescription; and
• States the name and registration number of the approved Aboriginal Health service; and
• States the date on which the prescription is written.

Recommended Best Practice

• Include the term ‘RAAHS Prescription’ prominently on the form to distinguish it from PBS prescriptions.

Authority Numbers

• There is no legislative requirement to include authority approval numbers or streamlined codes.

Resources

Further information on the RAAHS Program can be found on the Remote Area Aboriginal Health Services Program | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing webpage.