PBS, PBS Online & ANS

PBS Online
Online Claiming for PBS represents an improved claiming solution that allows pharmacies to submit a claim to Medicare Australia each time a PBS/RPBS medicine is dispensed. On receipt of the online claim, Medicare Australia performs a series of checks including customer entitlement, with the result returned to the dispensing pharmacist almost immediately. The speed of validation means that any detectable errors and inconsistencies can be corrected prior to the pharmacist supplying the medicine to the patient.

PBS
The PBS gives Australians access to a wide range of medicines, allows for choice between different medicines for patients and doctors, and is affordable for individuals and the community. The Victorian, Tasmanian, Queensland, South Australian and Western Australian State governments have signed agreements with the Federal Government that allow Public Hospitals to dispense and make claims under PBS rules, enabling those hospitals to make significant savings on drug budgets.

ANS
Medicare Australia has provided functionality for third party software applications to obtain an authority Number for PBS items that meet the Authority Notification Scheme (ANS) criterion. Utilising appropriate PKI Encryption, i.Pharmacy provides a transparent mechanism for the transfer of encrypted data to / from Medicare Australia for PBS dispensing items requiring an Authority Number. Not all PBS sites will require this functionality, in that it only applies to those sites that manufacture Section 100 Chemotherapy items.