Closing the Gap Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Co-payment Program Registration Grace Period

A significant number of eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have not yet been correctly registered for the Program. The grace period will continue to prevent CTG annotated PBS prescriptions being rejected at the time of dispensing if the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is not formally registered for the Program through Services Australia. 

PBS Prescribers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners should ensure eligible patients are correctly registered for the Program while the grace period is in effect. Only these Health Professionals can assess a patient as eligible for the Program. Registration must be done via Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) by these Health Professionals or their delegates. 

There will be no further extensions made to the registration grace period. 

PBS prescribers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, and Pharmacists can confirm Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are registered for the Program via HPOS. If they are not, the system will indicate that the person is “inactive”. 

As previously advised Services Australia established e-learning modules to help PBS prescribers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners to: 

• set up an account in PRODA for HPOS: PRODAM03 How to register for an individual account (medicareaust.com) 

• register eligible patients for the CTG PBS Co-payment Program CTG PBS Copayment Program: PBSM08_1 - How to register a patient for Closing the Gap (CTG) PBS Co-payment (medicareaust.com)