From 1 July 2021, there were changes to the Closing the Gap (CTG) PBS Co-payment Program.

PBS prescribers will no longer be legally required to write or electronically print ‘CTG’ on eligible PBS prescriptions for registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Instead, when a claim is made PBS Online will verify the CTG status of the patient in real-time.

If the script has been claimed as CTG, i.e. a CTG value was entered in CTG field on the dispense form, the patient is registered for the program and the script is eligible to be claimed as CTG, the claim will be processed and the PBS response will be Accepted.

If the script has not been claimed as CTG, but the patient is registered for the program and the script is eligible to be claimed as CTG, the claim will be rejected and will need to be resubmitted. In this case, the PBS response will be Rejected.

New PBS Online reason codes have been added to support the enhancement to the Closing the Gap (CTG) PBS Co-payment Program. Please refer to the below table for an explanation of each new reason code.

New CTG PBS Online reason codes

Reason codeDescriptionDispenser action required
R810The patient is not registered for CTG with Services Australia This warning will become a rejection on the 1st of July 2022. This warning does not affect the claim, but the prescriber must register the patient as CTG before 30thJune 2022 so that the patient can continue to access CTG prescriptions.

 

If the patient is not eligible for CTG:

  1. Dispenser should manually uncheck the CTG patient flag in the patient's profile.
  2. Edit the script and remove the value from the CTG field, then resubmit as a non-CTG script.
R811Patient is CTG eligible
  1. Edit the rejected script and check the CTG checkbox, then resubmit as a CTG script.
Note: Minfos will automatically check the CTG checkbox in the patient’s profile.
R812Supplier type ineligible for CTG
  1. Dispenser should edit the rejected script and remove the value from the CTG field.

  2. Resubmit script as non-CTG.*
R813Payment category ineligible for CTG
  1. Dispenser should edit the rejected script and remove the value from the CTG field.
  2. Resubmit script as non-CTG.*
R814Program code ineligible for CTG
  1. Dispenser should edit the rejected script and remove the value from the CTG field.
  2. Resubmit script as non-CTG.*

* Note: The patient is registered in the program. However, the script is not eligible for claiming under the CTG program - refer to rejection code.

Edit a patient's CTG status in Minfos

To change a patient's CTG status in Minfos, check or uncheck the CTG checkbox in the Customer Editing window.

When the CTG checkbox is checked in the patient’s profile, and the selected item is eligible to be claimed under the CTG program, Minfos will automatically select the CTG checkbox on the Dispense Form. When the status of the CTG checkbox is changed the price to customer will update accordingly.

The dispenser can choose to manually change the status of the CTG checkbox. Either check or uncheck the CTG checkbox or press [Alt + \].

Items that are not eligible to be claimed under the CTG program are: 

  • S100 
  • Chemotherapy 
  • Doctor's Bag 

If a patient’s profile has the CTG checkbox checked and is dispensed one of these items Minfos will not automatically check the CTG checkbox on the Dispense Form.

Further information

For further information please refer to the resources below: