

Pharmacists cannot dispense the item as a pharmaceutical benefit unless it has been approved by Medicare Australia (indicated by the presence of the approval number). Prescriptions must be written on an Authority Prescription Form, and the approval number must be noted on the prescription. Authority may be obtained by telephone to Medicare Australia (known as "phone approval") or in writing from an authorised delegate of the Minister for Health. This prior approval to prescribe grants the doctor the Authority to prescribe the desired medicine and have it funded under the PBS.Īuthority to prescribe an Authority medicine is granted for specific indications and/or for certain patient circumstances.


Some PBS medications are restricted and require prior approval from Medicare before a doctor is able to prescribe them on the PBS.
