24 January 2022
On 1 July 2021, some enhancements to the Closing the Gap (GTC) PBS Co-payment Program (commonly referred to as CTG scripts) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients came into effect. It was evident that a significant number of patients who had been receiving reduced co-payments for their PBS General Schedule medicines under the Program had not been correctly registered for the Program. The Department of Health introduced a registration grace period to provide time for these patients to be formally registered through Services Australia by PBS Prescribers and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners.
The Grace Period is currently scheduled to cease on 31 January 2022. However, the Department of Health acknowledges the continuing COVID situation has put pressure on all Health Professionals involved in primary care, and the impact this has had for some stakeholders being unable to ensure their eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are correctly registered for the CTG PBS Co-payment Program.
The Department of Health has now confirmed that there is a further extension to the Registration Grace Period to 30 June 2022 for those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Please utilise this extended time to ensure your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients receiving medicines under the CTG PBS Co-payment Program are correctly registered via the Services Australia system.
Further information on how to register your patients can be accessed on Services Australia website.
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