Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and palliative care
The Palliative Care Schedule of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a supplement to the General Schedule and includes items specifically for this population. Palliative Care items are available for patients ‘with an active, progressive, far-advanced disease for whom the prognosis is limited and the focus of care is the quality of life’. For more information, see Pharmaceutical Benefits for Palliative Care.
The items in the Palliative Care Schedule reflect commonly prescribed doses for patients with palliative care needs and differ from those listed in the General Schedule in relation to the following:
- indications (eg clonazepam)
- increased maximum supply quantities (eg temazepam)
- increased repeats (eg macrogol with electrolytes).
Patients may require larger quantities of medications (including opioids) than listed in the Palliative Care Schedule. In such circumstances, it may be necessary to obtain a PBS Authority prescription for larger quantities to allow for adequate supply. Always assess the risk of nonmedical use1 or the potential for diversion. Safety and potential wastage are factors that should be considered when considering provision of larger quantities of medications.