(1) This instrument is the National Health (COVID-19 Supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Special Arrangement Amendment (Extension and Record Forms) Instrument 2020.

(2) This instrument may also be cited as PB 101 of 2020.

(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	The day after this instrument is registered.	25 September 2020

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made.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.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under subsection 100(2) of the National Health Act 1953.

4 Schedules

Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.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 (COVID‑19 Supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Special Arrangement 2020

1 Section 4

Omit “30 September 2020”, substitute “31 March 2021”.

2 Section 5

Omit:

The instrument modifies arrangements for the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit on a paper‑based prescription to enable certain supplies to be made based on an image of the prescription provided to the approved supplier by the PBS prescriber.

substitute:

This instrument modifies arrangements for the supply of pharmaceutical benefits on paper‑based prescriptions to enable certain supplies to be made based on an image of the prescription provided to the approved supplier by the PBS prescriber.

This instrument also modifies arrangements for the supply of pharmaceutical benefits in relation to written acknowledgement of receipt of pharmaceutical benefits and signatures for records of supplies of pharmaceutical benefits on pharmaceutical benefits prescription record forms.

3 Subsection 6(1) (definitions of medication chart prescription and paper‑based prescription)

Omit “section 5 of”.

4 Subsection 6(1)

Insert:

PBS prescriber has the same meaning as in Part VII of the Act.

5 Subsection 6(1) (definition of phone attendance)

Omit “section 6 of”.

6 Subsection 6(1) (definition of relevant streamlined authority code)

Omit “section 5 of”.

7 Subsection 6(1) (definition of telehealth attendance)

Omit “section 6 of”.

8 Subsection 6(1) (definition of commencement day)

Repeal the definition.

9 Section 16 (heading)

Omit “to supplies of pharmaceutical benefits based on prescriptions to which Division 3 of Special Arrangement applies”, substitute “—written acknowledgement of receipt of pharmaceutical benefits”.

10 At the end of Division 3 of Part 2

Add:

16A Application of subsection 84D(7) of the Act—signatures for records of supplies of pharmaceutical benefits on pharmaceutical benefits prescription record forms

(1) This section applies to a record made for the purposes of subsection 84D(6) of the Act of the supply of a pharmaceutical benefit on a pharmaceutical benefits prescription record form.

(2) The requirement in subsection 84D(7) of the Act for the record to be signed by a medical practitioner or pharmacist (as applicable under paragraph 84D(7)(d), (e) or (f) of the Act) does not apply if:

(a) the record is not handwritten; and

(b) it is not practicable for the medical practitioner or pharmacist to sign the record due to concerns relating to transmission of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19.