EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
NATIONAL HEALTH ACT 1953
NATIONAL HEALTH ACT (PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS – EARLY SUPPLY) AMENDMENT APRIL 2012 – SPECIFICATION UNDER SUBSECTION 84AAA(2)
PB 24 of 2012
Purpose
The purpose of this legislative instrument, made under subsection 84AAA(2) of the National Health Act 1953 (the Act) is to amend Schedule 1 of the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits – Early Supply) Instrument 2009 – specification under subsection 84AAA(2) (PB 30 of 2009) to insert two new pharmaceutical items, delete an existing pharmaceutical item, and amend an existing pharmaceutical item.
PB 30 of 2009 specifies the pharmaceutical items that are in pharmaceutical benefits for which Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net entitlements will not apply for early supplies.
Authority
Subsection 84AAA(1) of the Act provides that a supply of a pharmaceutical benefit (whether or not the supply is of a kind described in paragraph 84C(4A)(a) of the Act) to a person is an early supply of a specified pharmaceutical benefit if:
(a) The supply is made within 20 days after the day of a previous supply to the person of:
(i) the same pharmaceutical benefit; or
(ii) another pharmaceutical benefit that has the same pharmaceutical item as the pharmaceutical benefit; or
(iii) another pharmaceutical benefit that is Schedule equivalent to the pharmaceutical benefit;
whether or not the previous supply is a supply of a kind described in paragraph 84C(4A)(a) of the Act; and
(b) The pharmaceutical item in the pharmaceutical benefit is specified in an instrument under subsection 84AAA(2); and
(c) The supply does not result from a prescription originating from a hospital.
Subsection 84AAA(2) of the Act provides that the Minister may specify, by legislative instrument, pharmaceutical items for the purposes of paragraph 84AAA(1)(b) of the Act.
Subsection 84AAA(3) provides that the instrument may specify a pharmaceutical item by reference to the circumstances in which a pharmaceutical benefit that has the pharmaceutical item is supplied or any other circumstances in relation to a pharmaceutical benefit that has the pharmaceutical item.
Paragraph 84C(4A) of the Act refers to repatriation pharmaceutical benefits supplied under the schemes established under section 91 of the Veteran’s Entitlements Act 1986 or section 18 of the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006 or supplied in accordance with a determination made under paragraph 256(1)(c) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.
Subsection 101(3AA) requires the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to make recommendations to the Minister about what should be specified in the instrument under subsection 84AAA(2) (currently PB 30 of 2009).
Changes to PB 30 of 2009 made by this instrument
This instrument inserts two new pharmaceutical items, the first having the listed drug ‘Abatacept’, the form ‘Injection 125 mg in 1 mL single dose pre-filled syringe’ and an ‘Injection’ manner of administration and the second having the listed drug ‘Nilotinib’, the form ‘Capsule 150 mg (as hydrochloride monohydrate)’ and an ‘Oral’ manner of administration.
This instrument also deletes the existing pharmaceutical item that has the listed drug ‘Oestradiol’, the form ‘Transdermal patches 8 mg, 8’ and a ‘Transdermal’ manner of administration; and changes the maximum quantity for the existing pharmaceutical item that has the listed drug ‘Nilotinib’, the form ‘Capsule 200 mg (as hydrochloride monohydrate)’ and an ‘Oral’ manner of administration from 112 to 120.
The ‘listed drug’, ‘form’, ‘manner of administration’ ‘maximum quantity or number of units’ and ‘maximum number of repeats’ for these pharmaceutical items are the same as declared and determined under the Act for pharmaceutical benefits that have these pharmaceutical items. These declarations and determinations are made in the National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2010.
A supply of a pharmaceutical benefit that has a specified pharmaceutical item will be an early supply of a specified pharmaceutical benefit if the provisions of subsection 84AAA(1) are met.
Consultation
The PBAC has made recommendations regarding the pharmaceutical items referred to in this amendment for the purposes of subsection 84AAA(2).
PBAC members are selected from consumers, health economists, practising community pharmacists, general practitioners, clinical pharmacologists and specialists, with at least one member selected from each of those interests or professions. Remaining members are persons whom the Minister is satisfied have qualifications and experience in a field relevant to the functions of the PBAC, and that would enable them to contribute meaningfully to the deliberations of the PBAC.
This amendment is minor and machinery in nature.
General
This Instrument commences on 1 April 2012.
This Instrument is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.