Department of Health

Key messages

  • The Commonwealth Department of Human Services administers claims and approvals of highly specialised drug prescriptions.
  • Complex authority required drugs require written authority.
  • To prescribe drugs for treatment of HIV/AIDS or hepatitis B, community doctors need to complete a series of special training programs.

The Commonwealth Department of Human Services administers all claims and approval of highly specialised drug (HSD) prescriptions. Where the dose is above the scheduled maximum quantity or number of repeats, authority approvals are also required.

Written authority applications must be made in order to prescribe Complex Authority Required HSDs.

Doctors working in the community are required to complete a series of specialist training programs before prescribing drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and, hepatitis B.

Drug program

    • Abatacept
    • Adalimumab
    • Ambrisentan
    • Azacitidine
    • Benralizumab
    • Azacitidine
    • Benralizumab
    • Bosentan
    • Eculizumab
    • Eltrombopag
    • Epoprostenol
    • Etanercept
    • Iloprost
    • Infliximab
    • Ivacaftor
    • Lenalidomide
    • Lumacaftor + Ivacaftor
    • Macitentan
    • Mepolizumab
    • Midostaurin
    • Nusinersen
    • Omalizumab
    • Pasireotide
    • Pegvisomant
    • Pomalidomide
    • Riociguat
    • Rituximab
    • Romiplostim
    • Sildenafil
    • Tadalafil
    • Teduglutide
    • Tezacaftor + ivacaftor (&) ivacaftor
    • Tocilizumab
    • Ustekinumab
    • Vedolizumab.
    • Abacavir Sulphate (Ziagen)
    • Abacavir Sulfate with Lamivudine (Kivexa, Abacavir/Lamivudine GH 600/300, Abacavir/Lamivudine 600/300 APOTEX, Abacavir/Lamivudine Mylan, Abacavir/Lamivudine 600/300 SUN)
    • Abacavir Sulfate with Lamivudine and Zidovudine (Trizivir)
    • Adefovir Dipivoxil (Hepsera, APO-Adefovir)
    • Atazanavir Sulfate (Reyataz)
    • Atazanavir + Cobicistat (Evotaz)
    • Bictegravir + Emtricitabine + Tenofovir alafenamide (Biktarvy)
    • Clozapine (Clozaril, Clopine, Versacloz)
    • Darunavir(Prezista)
    • Darunavir + Cobicistat (Prezcobix)
    • Dolutegravir (Tivicay)
    • Dolutegravir + Abacavir + Lamivudine (Triumeq)
    • Dolutegravir + Lamivudine (Dovato)
    • Dolutegravir + Rilpivirine (Juluca)
    • Efavirenz (Stocrin)
    • Emtricitabine +Rilpivirine + Tenofovir (Eviplera, Odefsey)
    • Enfuvirtide (Fuzeon)
    • Entecavir Monohydrate (Baraclude, Entecavir RBX, Enteclude, Entecavir Apotex, Entecavir Amneal, Entecavir Mylan, Entecavir Sandoz, ENTAC, Entecavir GH, Entecavir APO)
    • Etravirine (Intelence)
    • Fosamprenavir Calcium (Telzir)
    • Ganciclovir (Cymevene, Ganciclovir SXP)
    • Interferon Alfa 2a (Roferon A)
    • Lamivudine (Zeffix, 3TC, Lamivudine Alphapharm, Zetlam)
    • Lamivudine and Zidovudine (Combivir, Lamivudine 150mg + Zidovudine 300mg Alphapharm)
    • Lanreotide (Somatuline Autogel)
    • Lopinavir with Ritonavir (Kaletra)
    • Maraviroc (Celsentri)
    • Nevirapine (Viramune, Nevirapine Alphapharm, Nevirapine XR APOTEX)
    • Octreotide (Sandostatin LAR)
    • Peginterferon Alfa-2a (Pegasys)
    • Raltegravir Potassium (Isentress)
    • Rilpivirine (Edurant)
    • Ritonavir (Norvir)
    • Saquinavir Mesylate (Invirase)
    • Tenofovir (Viread, Tenofovir GH, Tenofovir Disoproxil Mylan, Tenofovir APOTEX)
    • Tenofovir + Emtricitabine (Truvada, Descovy, Tenofovir EMT GH, Tenofovir Disoproxil Emtricitabine Mylan, Tenofovir/Emtricitabine 300/200 APOTEX)
    • Tenofovir + Emtricitabine + Efavirenz (Atripla, Mylan 300/200/600)
    • Tenofovir + Emtricitabine + Elvitegravir + Cobicistat (Stribild, Genvoya)
    • Tipranavir (Aptivus)
    • Valganciclovir hydrochloride (Valcyte, Valganciclovir Mylan, Valganciclovir Sandoz)
    • Zidovudine (Retrovir)
  • A list of drugs covered by the program:

    • Abatacept (Orencia)*
    • Adalimumab (Humira)*
    • Alemtuzumab (Lemtrada)
    • Ambrisentan (Volibris)*
    • Anakinra (Kineret)
    • Apomorphine (Movapo, Apomine)
    • Azacitidine (Vidaza, Azadine, Celazadine, Azacitidine Accord, Azacitidine Dr. Reddy's, Azacitidine-Teva)*
    • Azithromycin (Zithromax)
    • Baclofen (Lioresal Intrathecal, Bacthecal, Sintetica Baclofen Intrathecal)
    • Benralizumab (Fasenra)*
    • Bosentan Monohydrate (Tracleer, BOSLEER, Bosentan Mylan, Bosentan RBX, Bosentan Sandoz, Bosentan GH, Bosentan Dr. Reddy's, Bosentan APO)*
    • Benralizumab (Fasenra)*
    • Ciclosporin (Sandimmun)
    • Ciclosporin (Neoral, Ciclosporin Sandoz)
    • Cinacalcet (Sensipar, Pharmacor Cinacalcet)
    • Clozapine (Clozaril, Clopine, Versacloz)
    • Daclatasvir (Daklinza)
    • Darbepoetin Alfa (Aranesp)
    • Deferasirox (Exjade, Jadenu)
    • Deferiprone (Ferriprox)
    • Desferrioxamine (Desferal, Hospira brand)
    • Dornase Alfa (Pulmozyme)
    • Doxorubicin hydrochloride pegylated liposomal (Caelyx, Lipodox)
    • Eculizumab (Soliris)*
    • Elbasvir + Grazoprevir (Zepatier)
    • Eltrombopag (Revolade)*
    • Epoetin Alfa (Eprex)
    • Epoetin Beta (NeoRecormon)
    • Epoetin Lamda (Novicrit)
    • Epoprostenol Sodium (Flolan, Veletri, Epoprostenol Sun)*
    • Etanercept (Enbrel)*
    • Everolimus (Certican)
    • Filgrastim (Neupogen, Nivestim, Zarzio, Nivestim)
    • Ganciclovir (Cymevene, Ganciclovir SXP)
    • Glecaprevir + Pibrentasvir (Maviret)
    • Ibandronic Acid (Bondronat)
    • Iloprost Trometamol (Ventavis)*
    • Infliximab (Remicade, Renflexis, Inflectra)*
    • Interferon Alfa 2a (Roferon A)
    • Interferon Gamma 1b (Imukin)
    • Ivacaftor (Kalydeco)*
    • Iron (Velphoro)
    • Lanreotide Acetate (Somatuline)
    • Lanthanum Carbonate Hydrate (Fosrenol)
    • Ledipasvir + Sofosbuvir (Harvoni)
    • Lenalidomide (Revlimid)*
    • Lenograstim (Granocyte)
    • Levodopa with Carbidopa (Duodopa)
    • Lipegfilgrastim (Lonquex)
    • Lumacaftor + Ivacaftor (Orkambi)*
    • Macitentan (Opsumit)*
    • Mannitol (bronchitol)
    • Mepolizumab (Nucala)*
    • Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (Mircera)
    • Midostaurin (Rydapt)*
    • Mycophenolate Mofetil (APO-Mycophenolate, Cellcept, Ceptolate, Mycophenolate Sandoz, Pharmacor Mycophenolate, MycoCept, Mycophenolate GH)
    • Mycophenolate Sodium (Myfortic)
    • Natalizumab (Tysabri)
    • Nusinersen (Spinraza)*
    • Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus)
    • Octreotide Acetate (Sandostatin, Hospira Pty Ltd brand, Octreotide MaxRx, Octreotide SUN)
    • Omalizumab (Xolair)*
    • Pamidronate disodium (Aredia, Pamisol)
    • Pasireotide (Signifor LAR)*
    • Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta, Ristempa, Tezmota)
    • Peginterferon Alfa-2a (Pegasys)
    • Pegvisomant (Somavert)*
    • Plerixafor (Mozobil)
    • Pomalidomide (Pomalyst)*
    • Ribavirin (Ibavyr)
    • Rifabutin (Mycobutin)
    • Riociguat (Adempas)
    • Rituximab (Mabthera, Riximyo, Truxima)*
    • Romiplostim (Nplate)*
    • Sevelamer (Renagel)
    • Sildenafil Citrate (Revatio, APO-Sildenafil PHT, Sildenafil Sandoz PHT, Sildenafil-DRx, Sildenafil AN PHT 20, Sildatio PHT)*
    • Sirolimus (Rapamune)
    • Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi)
    • Sofosbuvir + Velpatasvir (Epclusa)
    • Sofosbuvir + Velpatasvir + Voxilaprevir (Vosevi)
    • Tacrolimus (Prograf, Tacrolimus Sandoz, Pharmacor Tacrolimus, Tacrolimus Apotex, Pacrolim,Tacrograf, Advagraf XL)
    • Tacrolimus XL (Prograf XL, Advagraf XL)
    • Tadalafil (Adcirca)*
    • Teduglutide (Revestive)*
    • Telaprevir (Incivo)
    • Tezacaftor + ivacaftor (&) ivacaftor (Symdeko)*
    • Thalidomide (Thalomid)
    • Tocilizumab (Actemra)*
    • Ustekinumab (Stelara)*
    • Valaciclovir Hydrochloride (Valtrex, APO-Valaciclovir, Valaciclovir RBX, Valaciclovir APOTEX)
    • Valganciclovir hydrochloride (Valcyte, Valganciclovir Mylan, Valganciclovir Sandoz)
    • Vedolizumab (Entyvio)*
    • Zoledronic acid (Zometa, Claris Lifesciences Zoledronic Acid, Deztron)

All Commonwealth-funded supply of complex authority required drugs requires individual patient authority approval from the Commonwealth Department of Human Services prior to dispensing. The department provides informationExternal Link on prescription requirements, arrangements for dispensing and claiming for these drugs.

Authority to prescribe HIV or Hepatitis B drugs

To be eligible to prescribe HIV or Hepatitis B drugs under s. 100 of the National Health Act 1953, community (non-hospital) doctors must complete a series of special training programs, which are run through Victorian HIV and Hepatitis Integrated Training and Learning (VHHITAL).

More information is available at VHHITALExternal Link .

Reviewed 22 May 2023

Health.vic

Contact details

Pharmaceutical Programs Department of Health & Human Services

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