1Name#
(1)This instrument is the National Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement Amendment (Nurse Practitioner Prescribing—PBS Nurse Practitioner Prescribing Review) Instrument 2026.
(2)This instrument may also be cited as PB 125 of 2026.
2Commencement#
(1)Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
| Commencement information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
| 1. The whole of this instrument | 1 November 2026. | 1 November 2026 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.
(2)Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.
3Authority#
This instrument is made under sections 85, 85A, 88 and 100 of the National Health Act 1953.
4Schedules#
Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1 · Amendments
National Health (Highly Specialised Drugs Program) Special Arrangement 2021#
1 Section 6 (definition of accredited prescriber of medication for the treatment of HIV or AIDS)
Omit “, or an authorised nurse practitioner,”.
2 Section 6 (after the definition of accredited prescriber of medication for the treatment of HIV or AIDS)
Insert:
Note: For prescribing of medication for the treatment of HIV or AIDS by authorised nurse practitioners, see subsection 7(6A).
3 Section 6
Insert:
iron chelating agent means any of the following:
(a)deferasirox;
(b)deferiprone;
(c)desferrioxamine.
4 At the end of subsection 7(4)
Add:
; (g) a benefit that has an iron chelating agent;
(h)an ODT pharmaceutical benefit.
5 Subsection 7(5) (heading)
Repeal the heading, substitute:
Medical practitioners—accredited prescribers for HSD pharmaceutical benefits for the treatment of HIV or AIDS, and schizophrenia
6 At the end of subsection 7(5)
Add:
Note: For prescribing of medication for the treatment of HIV or AIDS by authorised nurse practitioners, see subsection 7(6A).
7 Subsections 7(6) and (6A)
Repeal the subsections, substitute:
Authorised nurse practitioners—specified “Nurse prescribing” benefits in Schedule 1
(6)Subject to subsection (6A), an authorised nurse practitioner is an authorised prescriber for an HSD pharmaceutical benefit for a patient if the initials “NP” appear in the column headed “Nurse prescribing” in Schedule 1 for the benefit.
Note: There may be more than one authorised prescriber for a benefit under this section. The initials “NP” appearing in the column “Nurse prescribing” in Schedule 1 for a benefit do not exclude other authorised prescribers for that benefit.
(6A)For an HSD pharmaceutical benefit that has a drug that is a medication for the treatment of HIV or AIDS, the authorised nurse practitioner must also be approved by a State or Territory to prescribe medication for the treatment of HIV or AIDS in accordance with this instrument.
8 Subsection 8(2)
Repeal the subsection, substitute:
Persons receiving treatment by authorised nurse practitioners at or from public hospitals other than as admitted patients—specified “Nurse prescribing” benefits in Schedule 1
(2)A person is an eligible patient for an HSD pharmaceutical benefit for which the initials “NP” appear in the column headed “Nurse prescribing” in Schedule 1 if:
(a)the person is, or is to be treated as, an eligible person; and
(b)the person is receiving medical treatment by an authorised nurse practitioner at or from a public hospital; and
(c)the person is receiving that treatment as:
(i)a non-admitted patient of the hospital; or
(ii)a day admitted patient of the hospital; or
(iii)a patient on discharge from the hospital.
9 Subsection 8(5)
Repeal the subsection, substitute:
Persons receiving treatment by authorised nurse practitioners in, at or from private hospitals—specified “Nurse prescribing” benefits in Schedule 1
(5)A person is an eligible patient for an HSD pharmaceutical benefit for which the initials “NP” appear in the column headed “Nurse prescribing” in Schedule 1 if:
(a)the person is, or is to be treated as, an eligible person; and
(b)the person is receiving medical treatment by an authorised nurse practitioner in, at or from a private hospital.
10 Subsections 8(8) to (11)
Repeal the subsections.
11 Subclause 1(3) of Schedule 1
After “also specifies”, insert “nurse prescribing,”.
12 Subclause 1(3) (note) of Schedule 1
Omit “Note”, substitute “Note 1”.
13 Subclause 1(3) (before the table) of Schedule 1
Insert:
Note 2: For nurse prescribing, see subsections 7(6) and (6A) of this instrument.
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at legislation.gov.au, © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Compilations may have been reformatted.