PBS/RPBS Prescription form changes

AMA Council of General Practitioners (CGP) was recently involved in assisting the Department of Human Services in updating the PBS/RPBS computer prescription form. GPs are advised that changes will be introduced on 1 December 2017. You will not need to do anything different when filling out a prescription using the updated form.

AMA CGP provided advice to the Department through the PBS Stationery Product Review on the proposed updates, ensuring that the changed forms would not burden GPs with extra administrative work. Stocks of computer prescription stationery will be valid for use and prescribers can continue to use the stocks they have until re-ordering is required.

The form will be a fillable PDF similar to the existing order forms and introduces a tick box for use by allied health prescribers. Other new features include:

• The Department of Human Services contact details printed on the back of the computer prescription form instead of the prescriber/practice details.
• A ‘Prescriber type indicator’ tick box on the bottom left side of the computer prescription form has been included for allied health prescribers. Medical Practitioners aren’t required to complete the ‘Prescriber type indicator’.
• The standard form will have an indicator to denote the type of prescriber so that pharmacist are able to identify the prescriber type easily.
• Improvements to dispatch timeframes for computer prescription stationery. This would mean that prescribers will receive computer prescription stationery more timely.

To order the standard computer prescription stationery:

1. Download and complete the order form ‘PB229 - Order for PBS/RPBS computer prescriptions forms for all eligible prescribers’ from here (available from 1 December 2017) and;
2. Follow the instructions on the form to submit your order.

Submit your order form using Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) ‘Form Upload’ function in the HPOS Mailbox.