Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription—number of authorised prescription repeats, total number N[N]

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Commonwealth Department of Health, Standard 17/12/2015

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

For 'single supply' prescriptions, i.e. those prescriptions for which only an original supply is specified by the prescriber, the value of this data item should be 0.

For repeat prescriptions, this value should be greater than 0. The value can be less than the number of repeats specified for the prescribed item in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, i.e. it is not necessary to prescribe the listed number of repeats from the Schedule if, in the opinion of the prescriber, a lesser number is sufficient for the patient's needs.

This value can be greater than the listed number of repeats from the Schedule, if the prescriber feels that the number of repeats should be increased. Specification of a higher number of repeats necessitates the completion of an authority prescription form by the prescriber.

The number of authorised prescription repeats should not change over the life of a prescription.

The number of repeats specified in a given prescription is typically one less than the total number of times that the patient can be supplied with the prescribed medication. For example, a prescription authorising 5 repeats means that the patient can be supplied with the prescribed medication a total of 6 times, i.e. the original supply plus 5 subsequent repeats.

Source and reference attributes

Relational attributes