Information for pharmacists

Dispensing from a duplicate copy of the PBS Hospital Medication Chart

The PBS Hospital Medication Chart published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care may be used as a form of prescription under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008.

The PBS Hospital Medication Chart may be used at a private health facility licensed under the Private Health Facilities Act 2007. Prescribing and dispensing of both Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications and non-PBS medicines is allowed.

The forms of PBS Hospital Medication Chart eligible for use are available from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

Pharmacist dispensing of the medication must be on a clear and legible duplicate copy of the prescription in accordance with the supply requirements in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Hospital Medication Chart (PBS HMC) User Guide (on pages 16 and 17). The prescription can only be dispensed at the pharmacy named on the prescription.

The pharmacist must endorse each supply on the duplicate copy of the prescription. The duplicate copy of the prescription must be retained at the pharmacy for a period of two years following the most recent supply.

A prescription issued on the PBS Hospital Medication Chart must include the following details:

1. the patient’s full name, address and date of birth
   
2. the name of the hospital
3. the name of the pharmacy from where the medication is to be supplied
4. the authorised practitioner’s name and contact telephone number
5. the name, form (if not readily apparent), strength (if not readily apparent) and route of administration of the medication
6. the dose and frequency the medication is to be administered or used
7. the date from which the medication is to be administered or used
8. the period during which the medication is to be administered or used, or, alternatively for a patient on discharge from the hospital, the quantity of the medication to be supplied
9. the date on which the prescription is issued
10. the authorised practitioner’s signature.

The details at 4 to 10 above must be in the handwriting of the authorised practitioner by whom the prescription is issued.

The prescription must be issued with any authority numbers or endorsements required under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008.

The prescriber must confirm any dose that could be regarded as being dangerous or unusual by underlining the part of the prescription that specifies the intended dose and by initialling the prescription in the margin.

The prescription may include more than one Schedule 8 preparation or both a Schedule 8 preparation and another preparation.

For further information on the use of the PBS Hospital Medication Chart, contact Pharmaceutical Services by submitting an online enquiry form​.​