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NOVEMBER 2023
Administration and Bookings Great news! I now have someone helping me with administration. This means I can now use the time that I was spending on admin to open up more appointment times, which will decrease the inability to book timely follow-up appointments and ensure admin is completed faster. To book in for the newly available after hours appointment spaces use the Setmore link below under the 'Book Additional Services'. These after hours appointments are available for existing users who need an out of hours appointment completed between regular appointments, often for medication reviews or paperwork etc. https://ttgc.setmore.com/bookclass Alternatively if you don't need an appointment but are an existing user who needs paperwork completed between appointments, including Gender Marker Letters, Super Forms, Referral Letters etc you can book in for administration time to have this done at the link above. Waitlist Medirecords has now created a waitlist functionality. If you would like to be added to the waitlist you just need to have a future appointment already booked in Setmore, then send an email through to [email protected] stating you would like to be added to the waitlist. https://support.medirecords.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000222416-How-to-Use-the-Waitlist- JULY 2023 Changes in PBS 60-Day Prescribing in Australia Recently, there have been some changes regarding the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia. Pharmacies can provide 60 days supply instead of 30 days supply for some medications and estradiol is on the list! This change aims to promote better medication management and save costs. Understanding the PBS System For those who may be unfamiliar with the PBS system, it is a government funded initiative that subsidizes the cost of prescription medications for Australian residents. The PBS makes essential medications more affordable and accessible. Items which are subsidised by the Government under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are charged at different prices depending on the type of benefit card you may have. This is taken from the Chemist Warehouse site and shows the different prices depending on the script and concession type.
If you have a Medicare card you might be eligible for a PBS priced script. This may be the same as the private price when the medicine is cheaper than the PBS co-payment amount. If you have a Concession card, you may be eligible to pay the Concession PBS price. The safety net price applies if you have reached the safety net threshold and it is a PBS script.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Concessions To be eligible for a concessional benefit, you need to have one of the following cards: · Pensioner Concession Card; · Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (not state issued seniors cards); · Health Care Card; or · DVA White, Gold, or Orange Card. If you have any of these cards it is important to show them to your chemist when you drop in your script, and the script needs to be a PBS script, not a private script. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net This is a program that helps individuals and families manage the cost of prescription medications. Once a person or family reaches the spending threshold on PBS-listed medications within a calendar year, they become eligible for additional subsidies and reduced co-payments on subsequent prescriptions for the rest of that year. The Safety Net provides protection against high medication costs for those with chronic conditions or high prescription needs. There are two thresholds within the PBS Safety Net program: a. Concessional Safety Net Threshold: This threshold is lower and applies to individuals and families who hold a valid concession card. Once the threshold is reached, they receive the maximum subsidy for the rest of the year. b. General Safety Net Threshold: This threshold is higher and applies to individuals and families without concession cards. Once this threshold is reached, they also receive the maximum subsidy for the rest of the year. The PBS Safety Net threshold for patients with a concession card is $262.80 and the General threshold is $1,563.50. If it is likely you will reach the threshold in a calendar year you should keep all pharmacy receipts in order to apply for the safety net. Alternatively if you use just the one chemist they can often track this for you. More information on the PBS is available at; https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/about-the-pbs If you want to know about the PBS prescribing criteria for different medications, the listing for each medication is available at; https://www.pbs.gov.au/browse/medicine-listing Importance of Concession and Safety Net Information When requesting a repeat prescription, please provide details regarding your eligibility for a PBS concession or if you anticipate reaching the PBS Safety Net threshold. This information will help me to issue the appropriate authority script and ensures that you receive the maximum benefits available to you under the PBS. Need for a Recent Appointment to Issue Prescription Repeats
The medical board has started to crack down on doctors issuing scripts to patients they have not recently consulted in real time with. The intent of this is to stop the ‘Instantaneous Script’ companies that issue scripts after patients fill in a tick and flick online form/email. However as part of the crackdown to avoid being caught up in the medical board changes it is going to be important to be able to show recency of consults. With the aim of ensuring enhanced patient care it is now a requirement for patients to have had a recent medical review in order to receive a prescription. As a result of these changes for me to email through a repeat prescription you will need to have had an appointment with me in the last 12 months or else have one booked for the near future. Regular reviews help assess the ongoing appropriateness and effectiveness of prescribed medications, ensuring optimal treatment outcomes and patient well-being. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/crackdown-on-unsafe-online-prescribing-underway https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/online-doctor-shops-face-crackdown-over-quick-quiz-prescriptions-20230524-p5dav5.html https://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/programs/mornings/medical-board-to-crackdown-on-instant-script-providers/102404766 |
