Helping you transition to active ingredient prescribing

New regulations will come into force next month requiring doctors to include active ingredient names when preparing prescriptions, and doctors will need to update their prescribing software.

From 1 February 2021, most eligible Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation PBS (RPBS) prescriptions must comply with the new Active Ingredient Prescribing (AIP) requirements.

The brand name can be included after the active ingredient name on the prescription when the prescriber deems it clinically necessary (for example, if prescribing by active ingredient only is considered impractical, unsafe, or confusing).

The decision of whether to prescribe a particular brand still lies with the prescriber and their patient. This decision should be recorded in the patient’s record.

There are some exceptions to AIP, and more information is available on the NPS website and the PBS website