PBS
Inhaler update
A problem whereby some pharmacies may be unable to process claims for supply of an inhaler is now subject to an interim solution The 1 July 2023 PBS Schedule included …
Stockholding relief for select brands
Medication sponsors secure relief from minimum stockholding requirements for close to 270 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listed brands Requirements for drug sponsors to hold four to six-month supplies of …
PBS stumbles into being 75 years ago
July 1948 – new medicines scheme rendered all but unworkable on its debut after years of doctor boycotts The Health Department has been highlighting the 75th anniversary of the Pharmaceutical …
Poll: Decision makers need community pharmacy experience
Could the appointment of a Chief Pharmacist improve relations between the Department of Health and the community pharmacy sector? Bureaucrats behind the new national methadone Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) system …
Pharmacist jailed over PBS fraud
A refugee who achieved her dream of becoming a pharmacist will serve six months behind bars after pleading guilty to defrauding the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) of $4.1m Over the …
No to concessional co-payment cut
Pharmacists can offer cost-of-living relief to concession cardholders by opting to discount Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines by up to $1, Mark Butler says Concessional co-payment pain can be eased …
Double dispensing prompts rural action
Rural pharmacists are being urged to share “positive stories” to show that the sector is “indispensable to rural communities” as part of a new campaign The Rural Pharmacy Network Australia …
Double dispensing impact analysis falls short of ‘good practice’
Impact analysis used to support the decision to introduce double dispensing would have benefited from more consultations with pharmacists, a bureaucrat believes An assessment of the impact analysis used to …
Petition fails to move Minister
Pharmacists will not be getting Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) provider numbers any time soon, Moves to provide individual MBS provider numbers to pharmacists will require a recommendation from the Pharmaceutical …
Patients wary of double dispensing: Guild
Warnings that 60-day dispensing could exacerbate medicines shortages and increase the risk of overdose are causing concerns for some patients Convenience is being heralded as a benefit of the proposed …
Government putting PBS at risk
Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will be pushed to the brink of collapse, if plans to implement 60-day dispensing are introduced Plans to slash government spending on dispensing fees through …