The first PBS authority prescription needs to be provided by or in consultation with an allergy specialist, respiratory physician or a paediatrician.
An initial PBS prescription may also be prescribed after you have been discharged from hospital or an emergency department after treatment with adrenaline for anaphylaxis.
A doctor (including a GP) or nurse practitioner can write follow-up prescriptions. The doctor/nurse practitioner will need to get an authority from Services Australia every time. You can only purchase two in-date adrenaline injectors through the PBS on authority prescription at any one time.
If you use one or both of your devices you can replace them with another two devices using an authority prescription, even if it has only been a short time since your last adrenaline injector authority prescription.
Your doctor/nurse practitioner should provide an ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis (red in colour) with every prescription for an adrenaline injector, even if your trigger allergens have not changed.
ASCIA Action Plans can be printed from the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) website – click here to download.
The ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis is regularly updated with best practice emergency treatment advice for anaphylaxis.
NOTE: Adrenaline injectors are not usually prescribed for people with medication allergies even if they have had a previous anaphylaxis. This is because medications are much easier to avoid than food or insects for example.