1 July 2021 Programs Update

• The new Indigenous Dose Administration Aids Program commences today. Pharmacies may now register for the new Program in the PPA Portal and submit claims for services undertaken on or after 1 July 2021.  Information on the new IDAA Program can be found here.
• The new Indigenous Health Services Pharmacy Support (IHSPS) Program is commencing today and has replaced the QUMAX and S100 Pharmacy Support Allowance Programs. Information on the new IHSPS Program can be found here. 
• The Emergency Locum Service (ELS) will be delivered and operated by Raven’s Recruitment from today. Applications for ELS placements should now be submitted to Raven’s Recruitment. Contact details are available on the new ELS website.
• As previously advised in PPA updates and via emails sent to Program Registrants, many 7CPA Rural Support Programs have transitioned today from the Pharmacy Access/Remoteness Index of Australia (PhARIA) rural classification system to the Modified Monash Model (MMM) to ensure greater support for regional, rural and remote pharmacy students, interns, pharmacists and pharmacies.

  An overview in relation to each Rural Support Program that has transitioned to the MMM can be found here. Updated rules for these Programs have now been published on the relevant webpages.

• The Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA) payment matrix for 2021/22 has now been released by the Department of Health and can be viewed in Appendix A of the RPMA Program Rules available here. The payment matrix is revised annually and the assessment process is based on annual PBS and RPBS prescription volumes, you may therefore notice changes in your allowance from year to year.

  RPMA renewals will be assessed and approved later in July as assessments require both the Department of Health’s RPMA matrix for 2021/22 and annual prescription volume information. RPMA renewals will continue to display as ‘pending’ until allowances have been calculated and processed. Please note, this will not cause any delays in RPMA payments. 

• From today, Service Providers may enter into a QUM Service Agreement with a Facility receiving funding under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care (NATSIFAC) program to undertake QUM services for the facility.
• The Take Home Naloxone Pilot has been extended until 30 June 2022. From today, Approved Providers and Authorised Alternative Suppliers will no longer need to collect or enter evaluation data into the PPA Portal. The collection and entry of claim supply data will still however be required.

 

If you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact the PPA on 1800 951 285 or via support@ppaonline.com.au