Senate Community Affairs References Committee

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee conducted an enquiry into the special arrangements for the supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines to Remote Area Aboriginal Health Services in 2011. The Committee reported on 11 October 2011, with ten recommendations. The Department prepared a response which was tabled in Parliament on 20 March 2018.

Government Response to Senate Enquiry into RAAHS March 2018 (PDF 256 KB)
Government Response to Senate Enquiry into RAAHS March 2018 (Word 104 KB)

Obtaining pharmaceutical benefit items

Each participating remote area AHS will maintain a stock of pharmaceutical benefit items, ordered using an approval form on a bulk supply basis from an approved pharmacist or an approved hospital authority, and dispensed through the AHS as appropriate. Pharmaceutical benefit items must be supplied directly by the approved pharmacist or the approved hospital authority to the participating AHS and not directly to the patients. Approved pharmacist and approved hospital authorities will be reimbursed directly by Services Australia. For more information about claiming visit the Services Australia website.

Dispensing

Pharmaceutical benefit items will be dispensed to patients by an appropriate health professional (either a medical practitioner, or an Aboriginal Health Worker or nurse working under the supervision of a medical practitioner, where consistent with the law of the relevant State or Territory). A patient who is supplied with a pharmaceutical benefit under this arrangement is not to be charged a patient co-payment.

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2020-21

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$169,830	$21,435,695	$8,012,790	$1,758,098	$10,220,413	$41,596,827
PBS Items Supplied	7,280	827,924	289,364	64,315	417,392	1,606,275

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2019-20

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$177,460	$20,641,916	$7,228,060	$1,801,632	$9,454,276	$39,303,344
PBS Items Supplied	8,411	909,995	309,863	76,508	435,649	1,740,426

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2018-19

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$142,783	$19,176,041	$6,885,636	$1,682,239	$9,039,778	$36,926,476
PBS Items Supplied	6,361	800,650	290,415	68,044	394,417	1,559,887

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2017-18

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$228,065	$20,071,724	$7,153,270	$1,841,434	$9,677,995	$38,972,488
PBS Items Supplied	11,207	823,706	295,002	72,273	413,682	1,615,870

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2016-17

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$209,534	$19,221,470	$6,171,772	$1,742,060	$10,162,339	$37,507,055
PBS Items Supplied	9,549	817,538	269,037	67,410	429,146	1,592,680

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2015-16

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$120,534	$15,011,118	$5,153,593	$1,358,950	$8,399,560	$30,043,756
PBS Items Supplied	4,723	625,543	217,623	52,760	351,498	1,252,147

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2014-15

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$130,175	$15,166,786	$4,418,312	$1,258,252	$8,374,114	$29,347,639
PBS Items Supplied	6,419	664,252	192,927	50,801	370,772	1,285,171

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2013-14

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$204,613	$20,194,819	$6,845,301	$905,621	$10,363,014	$38,513,368
PBS Items Supplied	8,910	853,544	272,371	40,300	422,408	1,597,533

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2012-13

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$192,434	$18,826,659	$6,637,563	$802,395	$10,449,937	$36,908,987
PBS Items Supplied	7,466	711,291	241,561	33,544	395,608	1,389,470

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2011-12

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$264,355	$21,253,511	$8,223,233	$955,843	$11,988,110	$42,685,052
PBS Items Supplied	9,997	795,228	275,165	39,733	412,966	1,533,069

Total Expenditure for Medicines and Number of PBS Items Supplied to Participating Aboriginal Health Services 2010-11

	NSW/TAS	NT	QLD	SA	WA	TOTAL
TOTAL ($)	$375,908	$20,494,309	$6,825,409	$757,268	$10,640,277	$39,093,170
PBS Items Supplied	13,567	792,943	254,253	31,975	374,451	1,467,189

Notes:

1. PBS Items supplied data are the total number of PBS items supplied to approved AHSs, not those dispensed to clients.  
2. Expenditure data based on all claims paid and itemised data based on items supplied reports. (Source: Services Australia).
3. Expenditure does not include GST.
4. No remote area services in Victoria or ACT have been identified.

Further information, please email the Department (S100-remotepharmsupport@health.gov.au)
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