Approval to supply PBS medicines
Submitting forms via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal
Permanent Services
Temporary Services
Locum Services
Bank account details
Claiming for PBS medicines
Contact us
Form - Privacy Note

Approval to supply PBS medicines

Approval may be granted to a medical practitioner to supply Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines in a particular area, typically remote or isolated where the community does not have convenient and efficient access to PBS medicines supplied by an approved community pharmacy in that area or surrounding locality.
The medical practitioner must:

• be practising medicine in the area for which approval is being sought
• hold a current registration with the relevant state or territory medical board
• be willing to supply PBS medicines to any person in that area who presents a valid PBS prescription

Submitting forms via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal

Each PBS Approved Suppliers form contains instructions on how it should be returned. For further information on how to submit these forms via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal, refer to the guide: How to upload PDF forms or additional requested information.

Permanent Services

To apply for approval to supply PBS medicines as a medical practitioner, submit an Application for a medical practitioner to supply pharmaceutical benefits via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal.
If a pharmacist becomes approved to supply PBS medicines to the community in that area, or surrounding locality, the approval granted to the PBS medical practitioner will be cancelled.

Temporary Services

Where there is no permanent medical practitioner approved to supply PBS in a particular area, and a medical practitioner is employed to practise in that area for a temporary period, that medical practitioner can apply for approval to supply pharmaceutical benefits for the period they are employed to practise in the area. An application can be made by submitting the Application for a medical practitioner to supply pharmaceutical benefits form via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal. The approval will be cancelled on the date stated on their application unless the practitioner requests an extension.

Locum Services

• A locum for an existing medical practitioner approved to supply PBS, can act on behalf of the medical practitioner, using the approved medical practitioner’s approval number.
• The locum can use the approved medical practitioner's prescription forms, crossing out the existing prescriber's details and replacing them with their own, or use interim supply, unpersonalised prescription forms.

In either case, the locum medical practitioner must write their prescriber details on the prescription form.

The approved medical practitioner must sign the PBS claim form, which includes a declaration that items were supplied by them or on their behalf.

• The payment of PBS benefits will be made to the approved medical practitioner's nominated bank account.
• If the locum medical practitioner wishes the PBS benefits to be paid to their own bank account, they will need to apply for their own approval under section 92 of the National Health Act 1953 using the Application for a medical practitioner to supply pharmaceutical benefits form submitted via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal.

Bank account details

Please complete and submit the Notification of bank account details for an approved medical practitioner form via the PBS Approved Suppliers Portal.

Claiming for PBS medicines

The Commonwealth will reimburse approved suppliers for PBS medicines supplied to Australian residents and eligible overseas visitors.

Once recommended or approved by the Department of Health and Aged Care, to set up online PBS claiming with Services Australia, the PRODA set-up and form below should be completed, including the Pharmacy Approval Number issued to you, and the form emailed to Services Australia at the address on the form. (Please do not email these forms to the Department of Health and Aged Care.)

• Notification of Australian Business Number and reference identification for tax treatment purposes and recipient created tax invoice agreement form.

Services Australia cannot pay for PBS medicines supplied if you have not submitted this form.

Read more about registering for online claiming for the PBS, including PRODA set-up on the Services Australia website.

Check with your pharmacy dispensing software provider as to whether you will need a Medicare PKI site certificate. If yes, complete an Application for a PKI site certificate form (HW001) - Services Australia. Once the forms has been received and processed, Services Australia will issue you with a PKI site certificate.

Contact us

For any queries, please email details of your enquiry to pbsapprovedsuppliers@health.gov.au or call PBS Approved Suppliers on 1800 316 389.

Contact Services Australia (formerly the Department of Human Services)

Service Australia oversees patient eligibility and PBS claim payments, and sets up online claiming.
Read more about online claiming for the PBS on the Services Australia website or call 1800 700 199.
To check patient eligibility or script authority queries, please call 132 290.

Form - Privacy Note

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (Department) is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

The Department is collecting personal information that you provide in the relevant Form for the purposes of assessing the application or processing the notification (as the case may be). The collection of the personal information is authorised under the National Health Act 1953 (Cth) and delegated legislation under that Act.

For further information, please visit Privacy and your personal information.