Summary of Item Changes

New Items
73070 73071 73072 73073 73074 73075 73076

Deleted Items
69418 69419 73053 73055 73057 73069

Amended Descriptors
2497 2501 2503 2504 2506 2507 2509 2598 2600 2603 2606 2610 2613 2616 35614 69488 69491 73045 73343 73922 73923

Increased access to HCV items 69488 and 69491
In March 2016, new medicines for the treatment of Hepatitis C direct acting antiviral agents were added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). In November 2016, the wording of the restrictions for the listing was changed to allow General Practitioners (GPs) prescribing rights to these medicines. Amendments to items 69488 and 69491 remove the requirement for specialist request and management for testing patients on antiviral therapy for Hepatitis C, in order to be consistent with the PBS changes to drug prescribing. General Practitioners managing patients on antiviral therapy for Hepatitis C will now be able to request these items.

New cervical screening items
From 1 December, 2017, seven new Medicare funded cervical screening pathology services (73070, 73071, 73072, 73073, 73074, 73075 and 73076) will be introduced as part of the implementation of the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) renewal as agreed by Government in the 2015-16 Budget following recommendations of the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC). From 1 December 2017, primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with reflex Liquid Based Cytology (LBC), if required, will be the primary screening test used in the NCSP. The cervical screening changes include the removal of the six existing pap test items (69418, 69419, 73053, 73055, 73057 and 73069) from the Pathology Services Table.