Prescription Shopping Program
About Medicare Australia's Prescription Shopping Program
The Prescription Shopping Information Service is administered by the Prescription Shopping Program.
Medicare Australia is working to identify patients who are getting PBS medicines in excess of medical need.
Medicare Australia can contact a prescriber if their patient is identified under the Prescription Shopping Program.
Medicare Australia has the authority to disclose without consent, specific and limited PBS information to a doctor about their patients who may be getting PBS medicine in excess of medical need.
Prescription Shopping Information Service
If a doctor suspects a patient of getting medicine in excess of medical need, they can call Medicare Australia 's Prescription Shopping Information Service. First, the doctor will need to register - complete and sign the Registration Form [PDF, 67Kb]
and fax it to (02) 6124 7820. Medicare Australia will provide confirmation of registration by fax within 2 business days or by mail if a fax number is not provided.
Once registered, a doctor can call the Information Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 631 181 and:
- find out if their patient has been identified under the Prescription Shopping Program
- receive information on the amount and type of PBS medicine recently supplied to that patient.
When a doctor contacts the Information Service, they will need to provide their:
- prescriber number
- full name
- answer to a personal validation question
- patient's Medicare number
- patient's date of birth
- patient's full name.
The patient information provided to registered doctors does not include:
- PBS medicine supplied to a patient that has not been claimed by the pharmacist, as there is a 4-6 week lag between a patient being supplied with their PBS medicine, the pharmacist claiming and the data being available.
- PBS Schedule Section 100 Medicine (including programs for Highly Specialised Drugs, Botulinum Toxin, Human Growth Hormone, IVF/GIFT, Opiate Dependence Treatment, Special Authority)
- PBS medicine where the full cost is less than the patient contribution, this is the amount a patient pays for PBS medicine based on their status, either concessional or general
- emergency drug (doctor's bag) supplies
- PBS medicine supplied but rejected for payment by Medicare Australia
- medicine subsidised under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (RPBS)
- prescription medicine that does not qualify for a PBS benefit (non-PBS medicine, such as private scripts and medications dispensed by public hospitals)
- medicine available for purchase over-the-counter (non-prescription)
- PBS medicine supplied by a pharmacist in an emergency
- samples provided to the patient.
Medicare Australia has the authority to disclose without consent, specific and limited PBS information to a doctor about their patients who may be getting PBS medicine in excess of medical need.
The following document is an example of the PBS Patient Summary Report that can be made available to doctors for a patient of theirs who has met the program criteria.
eBusiness for the Prescription Shopping Program
Receiving information via a secure online channel
Online PBS Patient Summary reports about patients of concern are now available to doctors registered with the Information Service.
The online service will allow you to view or download patient information within minutes of you making a call to the information service and your patient being identified under the Prescription Shopping Program criteria.
A secure token is required to access patient information online in a secure environment.
For doctors who already have a current iKey or Health Professional Card you can now access patient information online by calling 1800 631 181 (subject to your patient being identified) each time you wish to obtain an online report.
To view patient information online, the recommended level of system requirements for a computer is:
- Pentium ll processor or better
- 512 MB RAM
- 50 MB spare on Hard Drive
- 3.5” floppy disk drive and CD-ROM drives
- at least: Windows 2000 or XP operating systems
- Spare USB port and/or serial port
- Internet connection and email account
- Linux or Macintosh OS 10 Operating Systems
If you are a Power Mac user please call the technical support area of Medicare Australia on 1800 700 199 and select option 3.
If you are interested in accessing online PBS patient summary reports, the necessary start up pack (secure token, card reader and installation instructions) and technical support will be provided to you free of charge.
For further information regarding online security please visit the Online Security & Technology section of the Medicare Australia Website.
To register for the Prescription Shopping Information Service, complete and sign the registration form and fax it to (02) 6124 7820. Medicare Australia will provide confirmation by fax within 2 business days or by mail if a fax number is not provided.
For more information
- Frequently asked questions
- View consumer information: Getting more medicine than you need endangers your health and the health of others
- Download the consumer brochure: Getting more medicine than you need endangers your health and the health of others [PDF, 363Kb] available through Medicare offices
- To order brochures for your patients use the PBS stationery reorder form
Some documents on this page may require the free Adobe PDF reader.
Last updated: 28 May, 2008