Since 1 July 2015 pharmacists have been able to dispense Hepatitis B s100 medications irrespective of whether the prescription originated in the community or from a public hospital.
Pharmacists do not need to keep stock on the shelf, supply can be filled on a just-in-time basis. Some pharmacies with a higher prevalence of hepatitis B in their area, near a hepatitis B treatment service or community hepatitis B prescriber may stock medications. These pharmacists will play an increasingly important role in the ongoing care of people living with hepatitis B.
Discuss individual arrangements with clients to suit their needs and your ordering processes. The treatment remains life-long and it is vital that drugs are taken as prescribed without dose interruptions or missed dose.
The process to prescribe these medicines will be the same for all prescribers, with streamlined PBS Authority prescription requirements applying for community, private and public hospital based prescribers. Telephone-based PBS Authority approval will still be required prior to prescribing increased PBS quantities and/or increased repeats.
Further information about the scheme is available on the New Options for HIV and Hepatitis B Medicine Supply Frequently Asked Questions document. Information may also be found on the PBS website and through the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
Since 1 July 2015 pharmacists have been able to dispense HIV s100 medications irrespective of whether the prescription originated in the community or from a public hospital.
Discuss individual arrangements with clients to suit their needs and your ordering processes. The treatment remains life-long and it is vital that drugs are taken as prescribed without dose interruptions or missed dose.
The process to prescribe these medicines will be the same for all prescribers, with streamlined PBS Authority prescription requirements applying for community, private and public hospital based prescribers. Telephone-based PBS Authority approval will still be required prior to prescribing increased PBS quantities and/or increased repeats.
Further information about the scheme is available on the New Options for HIV and Hepatitis B Medicine Supply Frequently Asked Questions document. Information may also be found on the PBS website and through the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
Broadening access to medications in the community gives patients more choice about where they access their medications and promotes the health and wellbeing of people living with viral hepatitis and HIV. This 3hr face-to-face training has been developed in partnership with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland branch and has been piloted in Queensland in 2018.
This interactive training provides community pharmacists with the knowledge and confidence to dispense medications for HIV and viral hepatitis in the community. Pharmacists can play an active role to improve patient outcomes through patient-centred, collaborative and professional practice. The training is accredited for 2 hours of Group 1 CPD (or 2 CPD credits) suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan which can be converted to 2 hours of Group 2 CPD (or 4 CPD credits) upon successful completion of relevant assessment activities.
To find the next available training session, visit the ASHM training calendar. To request this training is delivered in your local area, email education@ashm.org.au.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has produced comprehensive practice support resources that give community pharmacists a valuable overview of the changes, the condition and the medicines used in treatment:
Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is not on PBS and should not be dispensed by Community Pharmacists. PEP is the administration of HIV antiretroviral medication soon after exposure to HIV. The aim is to prevent the establishment of infection. PEP is not a licensed use for ART and so is not able to be dispensed on the PBS. The only way patients can access PEP is from a hospital pharmacist, where supply is subsidised by state and territory health departments. If a patients comes to you requesting PEP please direct them to the local hospital emergency service. It is important that PEP is administered as soon as possible after exposure and definitely within 72 hours. You should not attempt to order PEP privately for a patient as this will be very costly and time for stock to arrive could render the administration of PEP useless.
It is vital that drugs are taken as prescribed without dose interruptions or missed dose.
It is anticipated that many pharmacists will fill HIV s100 scripts on a just-in-time basis. Some pharmacies with a high HIV positive clientele or near a HIV service or community HIV prescriber may stock some common medications and combinations. These pharmacists will play in increasing important role in the ongoing care of their HIV positive clients.
HIV treatment has improved greatly over the past 15 years:
One of the most common reasons reported for missed doses is forgetting or having difficulties getting a script filled.
Community dispensing is much more flexible than having to rely on hospital based dispensing where access hours are much more restrictive. But it means that pharmacists may need to initiate individual arrangements with their HIV clients.
ASHM is advising clinicians and their patients to get scripts filled a week before they run out of pills.
Information for consumers is available on the Positive Life website
From 1 October 2015, NSW residents who are patients of NSW public hospitals or authorised community prescribers in NSW will not be required to pay the patient co-payment for Section 100 (s100) Highly Specialised Drugs or s100 injectable and infusible chemotherapy medicines in NSW. Please find a summary of key points and links to key resources below:
