PBS Hospital Medication Charts
Updated information on Medication Charts is now available. The information below may not be current and is only left here for historical reference.
28 July 2014
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC, the Commission) is developing a national standardised medication chart for PBS use in inpatient and outpatient settings in both public and private hospitals.
The PBS Hospital Medication Chart Project aims to improve the safety of medication management in Australian hospitals through standardised medication charting and medication management practice. It also helps to reduce the administrative burden on hospitals by providing an alternate for prescribers to PBS Prescription Forms in these settings.
Phased Implementation
The Project will be developed in two phases with broad consultation by the Commission with all stakeholders to ensure efficient and effective implementation consistent with the needs and readiness of stakeholders:
- Phase 1 (Paper Only) will allow paper-based hospital medication charts for PBS prescribing, dispensing and claiming. Trials in public and private hospitals are planned for the first half of 2015 to be finalised by 30 June 2016.
- Phase 2 (Electronic) will allow an electronic version of the hospital medication chart for PBS prescribing, dispensing and claiming. Trials in public and private hospitals are planned to commence in 2016 to be finalised by March 2017.
Agreement on technical specifications will be developed in consultation with all stakeholders to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved efficiently and effectively.
Consultations
A schedule of stakeholder consultations and activities is being developed by the Department of Health (the Department) in conjunction with the Commission. The Department is also working closely with the Department of Human Services (DHS) on the Project.
The aim of the stakeholder consultation and engagement activities is to develop awareness of what is changing, and seek advice from all stakeholders about the components for implementation success across the PBS hospital settings.
Consultations will include prescriber, pharmacy and patients groups; hospital providers; jurisdictions as well as prescribing and dispensing software vendors.
More information
More information about the Project, consultation process and updates is available on the Commission website.
PBS Hospital Medication Charts - Phase One Trials
1 December 2014
The Commission have invited public and private hospitals to submit a formal Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in Phase One of the PBS Hospital Medication Charts trial. EOIs for private hospitals must be lodged by 5 December 2014, and EOIs for public hospitals must be lodged by 16 January 2015. More information on this process can be found on the Commission website.
Draft amendments to the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960 (the Regulations)
Implementation of the PBS Hospital Medication Chart Initiative requires amendments to the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960 (the Regulations) provided for under the National Health Act 1953. These legislative amendments are required for the commencement of the Initiative on 1 April 2015. This will enable the prescribing, dispensing, and claiming of pharmaceutical benefits from a PBS Hospital Medication Chart at trial hospital sites prior to full implementation Australia‑wide.
An Exposure Draft of changes to the Regulations and associated explanatory material is available for consultation and comment through the secure Australian Government GovDex website. To request access to these documents, please contact the PBS Hospital Medication Chart Project Team.
