Overview
The Department of Health and Ageing published a notifiable instrument on 31 August 2026 listing pharmaceutical benefits excluded from active ingredient prescribing rules under the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017.
What active ingredient prescribing means
Active ingredient prescribing requires doctors to write the generic drug name - rather than a brand name - on prescriptions. Certain pharmaceutical benefits are excluded from this requirement, and this instrument defined those exclusions for the period it was in force.
Categories covered
The instrument covered two categories of excluded pharmaceutical benefits:
- Pharmaceutical benefits prescribed using the free text function
- Particular ready-prepared pharmaceutical benefits
The instrument does not specify which individual drugs or products appeared on the excluded list.
Duration
This instrument was in force from 31 August 2026 to 30 September 2026. It has since been repealed and is no longer current.
Key actions
- Pharmacy owners and dispensing services are required to check the current active instrument at legislation.gov.au to confirm which pharmaceutical benefits are excluded from active ingredient prescribing rules after 30 September 2026, as this instrument is no longer in force.
- The full text of this instrument, including its interactions with other legislation, is available at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026N00646 for historical records, compliance, or audit purposes.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.