LSDP medicines
The LSDP pays for specific essential medicines to treat patients with ultra-rare and life-threatening diseases. Funding for medicines on the LSDP is separate to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Before you can dispense LSDP medicines, you must:
- agree to take part in the LSDP
- appoint authorised persons to handle LSDP medicines.
Becoming an LSDP pharmacy
If an approved patient application identifies your pharmacy to dispense the medicine, we will contact you to:
- confirm you are willing to handle and supply the LSDP medicine
- tell you what your obligations are under the program if you have not supplied LSDP medicines before.
If you do not wish to take part in the program, you must contact the treating physician so they can make other arrangements.
You must appoint primary and secondary contacts as authorised persons to receive and dispense LSDP medicines. You can add more authorised persons at any time by emailing us.
If required, the medicine’s sponsor (pharmaceutical company) can arrange training for pharmacy staff on how to handle the LSDP medicine correctly.
Role of authorised persons
An authorised person is a pharmacy representative who:
- receives LSDP medicines
- checks the stock to make sure it matches the order and is not damaged
- emails us the patient’s dispensing record by the 7th day of each month
- is a contact for all matters relating to the supply of LSDP medicines to patients who attend the pharmacy.
Authorised persons should read the requirements in the fact sheet for pharmacists and the relevant disease-specific guidelines.
Patient fees
Because LSDP medicines are not part of the PBS, they are not subject to a PBS patient co-payment.
By agreeing to provide LSDP medicines, you agree to not charge patients a co-payment or similar fee.
You may charge a fee to provide a cooler bag or similar transport and handling material as needed. You must tell the patient about this cost up front, and they must agree to it before we send LSDP medicines to you. You cannot charge any other co-payment or fee.
Fact sheet
Life Saving Drugs Program – Fact sheet for pharmacists
Information for patients
You can print the fact sheet for patients and give it to new LSDP patients. You can also direct them to LSDP for patients for more information.
You should also give patients the most current consumer medicines information leaflet from the TGA website when they start an LSDP medicine.
