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Proton Pump Inhibitors move to ‘Authority Required’

AMA members are advised that from 1 May, doctors prescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) for their patients under the PBS will need to take additional steps to comply with clinical guidelines following changes to the PBS restriction criteria. High dose PPIs are now Authority Required (Telephone) and standard dose PPIs are now Authority Required (Streamlined).  

Information about the reason for the changes is available on the PBS website.

For Authority Required (Telephone) listings, the doctors must write the item on an authority prescription form and gain prior authority approval from the Department of Human Services for PBS subsidisation. Doctors can either:

  • call the PBS authority approval telephone line on 1800 888 333 for authority requests; or
  • request electronic PBS authority approval through the Online PBS Authorities system via HPOS.

Further information and a step-by-step guide for requesting an online PBS authority are available here.

For Authority Required (Streamlined) listings prescribers must write the item on an authority prescription form and must endorse the prescription with the valid streamlined code. To prepare for new and amended PBS listings, prescribers must ensure their prescribing software is up-to-date.

The Department of Human Services has advised that PBS prescriptions written prior to 1 May 2019 for PPIs will still be valid for PBS subsidy for the life of the prescription.

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