National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Amendment Instrument 2011 (No. 11) (No. PB 74 of 2011)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

National Health Act 1953

National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits)

Amendment Instrument 2011 (No. 11)

PB 74 of 2011 

Purpose

The purpose of this legislative instrument, made under sections 84AF, 85, 85A, 88, and 101 of the National Health Act 1953 (the Act) is to amend the National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2010 (PB 108 of 2010) to make changes to the pharmaceutical benefits listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and related matters.

PB 108 of 2010 determines the pharmaceutical benefits that are on the PBS through declarations of drugs and medicinal preparations, and determinations of forms, manners of administration and brands.  It also provides for related matters (responsible persons, prescribing circumstances, maximum quantities and numbers of repeats, and whether the pharmaceutical benefit is to be available only under special arrangements). 

Authority

PB 108 of 2010 exercises numerous provisions in Part VII of the Act, as set out below:

Pharmaceutical benefits listed on the PBS

Subsection 85(2) provides that the Minister may declare drugs and medicinal preparations to which Part VII applies.  A drug or medicinal preparation for which there is a declaration in force under subsection 85(2) is a ‘listed drug’ (subsection 84(1)).  Subsections 85(3) and 85(5) respectively provide that the Minister may determine the form or forms of a listed drug and the manner of administration of a form of a listed drug.  A listed drug in a determined form with a determined manner of administration for that form is a pharmaceutical item (section 84AB).  The Minister may also determine a brand of a pharmaceutical item (subsection 85(6)).  The Minister may also determine the responsible person for a brand of a pharmaceutical item (subsection 84AF(1)).

Prescribing pharmaceutical benefits

Subsection 88(1) provides that a medical practitioner is authorised to prescribe a pharmaceutical benefit.  Section 88 provides that the Minister may determine the pharmaceutical benefits that may be prescribed by different classes of prescribers, including participating dental practitioners (subsection 88(1A)), authorised optometrists (subsection 88(1C)), authorised midwives (subsection 88(1D)) and authorised nurse practitioners (subsection 88(1E)).

Subsection 85(7) provides that the Minister may determine the circumstances in which a prescription may be written for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit.

Paragraph 85A(2)(a) allows the Minister to determine the maximum quantity or number of units of the pharmaceutical item in a pharmaceutical benefit (or of the pharmaceutical benefit where there is no pharmaceutical item) that may, in one prescription, be directed to be supplied on one occasion.  Paragraph 85A(2)(b) also allows the Minister to determine the maximum number of occasions on which the supply of the pharmaceutical benefit may, in one prescription, be directed to be repeated.  The maximum quantities and repeats may be determined for all purposes or for particular purposes.

Supplying pharmaceutical benefits

Subsection 85(2A) and paragraph 85(8)(a), respectively, provide that the Minister may declare that a particular listed drug or a particular pharmaceutical benefit may only be supplied under special arrangements under section 100.  Similarly, paragraph 85(8)(b) provides that the Minister may determine that a particular pharmaceutical benefit may only be supplied under special arrangements under section 100 for one or more of the circumstances determined for that pharmaceutical benefit under subsection 85(7).

Variation and revocation of subsection 85(2) declaration

Subsection 101(4AAA) allows the Minister to, by legislative instrument, revoke or vary a subsection 85(2) declaration in relation to a drug or medicinal preparation.  Advice from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) is required if the effect of the legislative instrument would be that a drug or medicinal preparation would cease to be a listed drug (subsection 101(4AAB)).

Changes to PB 108 of 2010 made by this instrument

This instrument provides for additions, deletions and changes to forms, brands, responsible persons, circumstances for prescribing and to the maximum quantities and number of repeats that may be prescribed for various pharmaceutical benefits.  These changes are summarised, by subject matter, in Attachment 2.

Consultation

The involvement of interested parties through the membership of PBAC constitutes a formal and ongoing process of consultation.  PBAC is an independent expert body established by section 100A of the Act which makes recommendations to the Minister about which drugs and medicinal preparations should be available as pharmaceutical benefits.  PBAC members are appointed following nomination by prescribed organisations and associations 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 PBAC, and that would enable them to contribute meaningfully to the deliberations of PBAC.  When recommending the listing of a medicine on the PBS, PBAC takes into account the medical conditions for which the medicine has been approved for use in Australia, its clinical effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness compared with other treatments.

Pharmaceutical companies are consulted throughout the process of the listing of their medicines on the PBS and in relation to changes to those listings.  This includes the company submission to the PBAC and involvement throughout the PBAC process, negotiations or consultation on price, and agreement to final listing details.

General

A provision by provision description of this Instrument is contained in Attachment 1.

The Instrument commences on 1 November 2011.

This Instrument is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

ATTACHMENT 1

PROVISION BY PROVISION DESCRIPTION OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH (LISTING OF PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS) AMENDMENT INSTRUMENT 2011 (NO. 11)

Section 1   Name of Instrument

This section provides that the Instrument is the National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Amendment Instrument 2011 (No. 11) and may also be cited as PB 74 of 2011.

Section 2   Commencement

This section provides that the Instrument commences on 1 November 2011.

Section 3   Amendment of PB 108 of 2010

This section provides that Schedule 1 amends the National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2010 (PB 108 of 2010).

Schedule 1   Amendments

The amendments in Schedule 1 involve additions, deletions and changes to forms, brands, responsible persons, circumstances for prescribing and to the maximum quantities and number of repeats that may be prescribed.  These changes are summarised in Attachment 2.

ATTACHMENT 2

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Listed Drug Added

Brands Added

Brands Deleted

Alteration of Number of Repeats

Alteration of Responsible Person Code (no change to Responsible Person)

Alteration of Responsible Person

Alteration of Circumstances