From 1 July, any PBS prescriber can register eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for the Closing the Gap Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Co-payment Program.
PBS prescribers will no longer be required to write or electronically print ‘CTG’ on eligible PBS prescriptions for registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, annotating a PBS script will help community pharmacies and Section 94 approved private hospital pharmacists know the patient is registered for the program.
General schedule PBS prescriptions issued by PBS prescribers within public hospitals will now be eligible for the program, provided they are dispensed by a community pharmacy or Section 94 approved private hospital pharmacy.
Behind the scenes, a new centralised patient registration database will go live with all current registrations transferred to the new database. This will allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be covered even if they change location or go to a different health clinic.
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