You must be an approved supplier of PBS to be able to dispense PBS medicines. All suppliers are issued with approval numbers by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Read more about how to become a PBS approved supplier on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
There are additional requirements when you’re an approved supplier of Highly Specialised Drugs (HSD).
As an approved supplier you’ll make a PBS claim at the same time as you dispense PBS medicines to your patients. Learn more about PBS claiming.
Checking the PBS prescription
You can supply PBS medicines if the prescription includes the following:
- the prescriber’s details, such as their name, practice and prescriber number
- your patient’s details, including their name, address, Medicare number
- the type of medicine, such as a PBS or RPBS medicine
- the active ingredient, strength and form of medicine
- the dose and instructions for use
- whether a brand substitution is permitted
- the quantity and number of repeats
- the prescriber’s signature
- the date it was written, prescriptions can’t be forward or backdated.
There are some exceptions to the active ingredient requirements for PBS prescriptions. Read more about active ingredient prescribing requirements on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Prescriptions may also include, the following if they apply:
- your patient’s entitlement details, including Commonwealth concession, pension or health care card details or veterans’ entitlement number
- the authority prescription number
- the authority required (STREAMLINED) number
- the authority approval number.