Australian Herpes Management Forum

News: PBS Update April 2006

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The April 2006 update of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule has just been distributed to Australian medical practitioners. Conditions for presscribing have been relaxed slightly, with the removal of the statement "Pathology reports from accredited laboratories must be available for audit by the HIC".

Current requirements for authority prescription of aciclovir, famciclovir and valaciclovir for the management of genital herpes are as follows:

Moderate to severe initial genital herpes: Microbiological confirmation of diagnosis (viral culture, antigen detection or nucleic acid amplification by PCR) is desirable but need not delay treatment.

Episodic treatment or suppressive therapy of moderate to severe recurrent genital herpes: Microbiological confirmation of diagnosis (viral culture, antigen detection or nucleic acid amplification by PCR) is required but need not delay treatment

For further information, see the PBS website.

More Information

• Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule: Valaciclovir
• Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule: Famciclovir
• Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule: Aciclovir

14 April 2005