National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Amendment Regulations 2008 (No. 1)¹

I, PHILIP MICHAEL JEFFERY, Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the National Health Act 1953.

Dated 10 April 2008

P. M. JEFFERY

Governor‑General

By His Excellency’s Command

NICOLA ROXON

1              Name of Regulations

                These Regulations are the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Amendment Regulations 2008 (No. 1).

2              Commencement

                These Regulations commence on the day after they are registered.

3              Amendment of National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960

                Schedule 1 amends the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 1960.

Schedule 1        Amendments

(regulation 3)

[1]           Subregulation 5 (1), after definition of approved supplier

insert

authorised optometrist has the meaning given by subsection 84 (1) of the Act.

[2]           Subregulation 5 (1), after definition of medicare number

insert

optometrist has the meaning given by subsection 84 (1) of the Act.

[3]           Subregulation 5 (1), after definition of participating dental practitioner

insert

PBS prescriber has the meaning given by subsection 84 (1) of the Act.

[4]           Part II, heading

substitute

Part II                 Approvals under Part VII of the Act

[5]           After regulation 8

insert

8AA        Application for approval as authorised optometrist

                For subsection 84AAB (1) of the Act, an application for approval must be made in a form acceptable to the Secretary.

[6]           Paragraph 8A (1) (a)

omit

Act;

insert

Act; or

[7]           After paragraph 8A (1) (a)

insert

              (aa)    an optometrist under section 84AAB of the Act; or

[8]           Subregulation 13 (2)

after

medical practitioner

insert

or an authorised optometrist (a practitioner)

[9]           Subregulation 19 (1)

omit everything before paragraph (a), insert

         (1)   A prescription, including an authority prescription, is duly written only if a PBS prescriber:

[10]         Sub‑subparagraphs 19 (1) (a) (i) (C) and (D) and 19 (1) (a) (ii) (C) and (D)

omit

appears

insert

appear

[11]         Paragraph 19 (1) (ca)

omit

practitioner,

insert

practitioner or an authorised optometrist,

[12]         Paragraph 19 (1) (e)

omit

for the complete identification of

insert

to identify

[13]         Subregulation 19 (1), at the foot

insert

Note   Paragraph 105 (b) of the Act empowers regulations to be made about the writing of prescriptions.

[14]         Subregulation 19 (2)

substitute

         (2)   However, a prescription will not be taken to be duly written by the PBS prescriber if it provides for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit to:

                (a)    a person if the PBS prescriber has written, on the same day, another prescription for the supply of the same or an equivalent pharmaceutical benefit to the person; or

               (b)    more than 1 person.

[15]         Further amendments

Note

1.       All legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments kept under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. See http://www.frli.gov.au.