Authorities

You can view and create authorities from a patient, from a prescriber, or from the authorities screen.

Depending on what your starting point is, there may be slight variations in the options available in each of the sections. For example, if you create an authority from a patient profile, the patient details are read-only. However, if you create an authority from the Authorities Search page, and then select a patient, then the patient details can be edited.

Authorities Under Review

The Authorities Under Review page enables you to focus on active authorities with a particular Authority Status.

  1. From the navigation menu, select Authorities > Authorities Under Review.

    The Authorities Under Review page displays. Initially, no records are displayed.

    The number in brackets indicates how many records have that Authority Status.

  2. Select the relevant Authority Status (button)—for example, Pending MP. A list of matching records displays.

    The colour of the button changes to indicate that it has been selected.

  3. Click to open an existing Authority and take the appropriate Action.

The list of authorities on the Authorities Under Review page does not automatically refresh if you haven't interacted with it. Therefore, if you have been away from your screen, it is recommende d to click the Refresh button to reflect any changes made by your colleagues.

Authority Status (Button) Definitions

Authorities with the status of Pending Further Advice are further broken down according to Action reason. For the purposes of viewing the Authorities Under Review, the following definitions are in place for the Authority Status buttons.

Authority Status (Button) Includes these authorities
Pending - MP All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending' with the 'Application source' = MP
Submitted All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Submitted'
In Progress All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'In Progress'
Senior Pharmacist All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending Further Advice', with 'Action reasons' = 'Senior pharmacist'
EAP All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending Further Advice', with 'Action reasons' = 'EAP' (Expert Advisory Panel)
KAP KAP = All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending Further Advice', with 'Action reasons' = 'KAP' (Ketamine Advisory Panel)
Waiting for info All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Waiting for additional information'
CMO All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending Further Advice', with 'Action reasons' - 'CMO' (Chief Medical Officer)
PAC All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending Further Advice', with 'Action reasons' = 'PAC' (Psychostimulant Advisory Committee)
Other All Authorities that have an 'Authority status' of 'Pending Further Advice', with 'Action reasons' = 'Other'

Authority Search

  1. From the navigation menu, select Authorities > Authority Search.
  2. (If required) Filter by Date Range. By default the past 7 days are shown.

  3. (If required) Apply additional filters to each column header.

  4. Click to open an existing Authority and take the appropriate Action.

    For example, update the authority from Pending to Approved.

    The Authorities Search page only displays the newest version of each authority, including the Number, Version, Type and Status.

  5. If the authority cannot be found, it is possible to click Create Authority, and select the relevant authority type:

    • Authority to prescribe

    • Authority to prescribe - Opioid use disorder

    • Authority to prescribe - Medicinal cannabis

    Alternatively, you can search for the patient and then create an authority. The instructions for this are described below.

View a patient's authorities

  1. From the navigation menu, select Search > Patients to search for a patient.

    2. Refer to Patient Search

    In Patient Search Results, the patient records are flagged as: , , or .

    If the patient you want to create an authority for is flagged as , you must first create a regulatory patient profile for this patient and link it to the profile with medication history.

    Refer to Patient Profile

  2. If the patient is flagged as Regulatory , open the relevant record and view in Patient Details.
  3. Expand the Authorities section to display all existing authorities (if any).
  4. Select Create Authority to create an authority for this patient.

Authority status

The authority status is set to Pending (by default).

The authority status is updated when an Action is taken on the authority.

When the authority is Saved, the Authority Number is displayed (top right).

Start/End Date/Number of Months

Enter a start and end date for the authority. (Mandatory)

The end date can be in the past but must be later than the start date. An error message is displayed:

End date cannot be earlier than today.

When you enter the number of months, the end date is automatically calculated.

When the end date is reached, any Approved authority is automatically set to Expired.

Action

When an authority is first created, Submit is the only Action available for selection.

When an Action is selected and the authority is subsequently saved, the Status changes.

When the Status changes, further Actions can be taken on the authority. The Actions that are available depend on the current Status of the authority.

For example, users can take the following Action on a Submitted authority:

  • Approve
  • Cancel
  • Commence Review
  • Refuse
  • Request additional information

As another example, users can take the following Action on an In progress authority.

  • Approve

  • Cancel

  • Refuse

  • Request additional information

  • Pending further advice

Action Reason

For some Actions, you must also select one (or multiple) Action reasons.

If you select a different Action, the selected Action reason is cleared and depending on the new Action selected you may need to select one or more new Action Reasons.

You can provide a short note for each selected action reason.

A version number [N] is added when the authority's Status is changed to:

  • Amended

  • In progress

  • Waiting for additional information

  • Submitted (only when initial status is 'Waiting for additional information')

The information provided here is based on the starting point of searching for a patient, then creating an authority. When an authority is created from the Authorities Search screen, there may be some differences in this section. For example, clicking on View Patient would enable you to edit the patient's details.

When an authority is started from the Patient profile, patient details are pre-populated and are read-only.

The patient details displayed are sourced from the Regulatory profile.

View Patient

Patient details are read-only.

Exception: If you created your authority first and then added the patient afterwards, the View Patient button displays. You can open the patient profile to view in full or to edit it.

Refer to Patient Profile > Create a Regulatory profile from a Transactional profile

Mandatory

The prescriber to whom the authority is granted.

The information provided here is based on the starting point of searching for a patient, then creating an authority. When an authority is started from the Practitioner profile, prescriber details are pre-populated. See Practitioner Profile

Add prescriber

If you are creating a new authority, search for the prescriber, then link to this authority .

Search

  1. Search by Name, Surname, or Unique ID.

    You must enter at least one character in either the First name or Surname fields or a valid ID number.

    The Unique ID can be either the practitioner's Ahpra Number, or their Prescriber number.

    A list of matching practitioners displays in Practitioners Search Results.

    Practitioners with 'Transactions' in the Source column cannot be linked to an authority, enquiry, investigation, or organisation.

  2. In Practitioners Search Results, use the column headers to sort or filter the results.

  3. Select the relevant entry.

  4. Click through to view the full practitioners details and make the required changes.

  5. Select the practitioner to add it to the grid.

  6. (If required) In the grid, select delete to remove a line entry. For example, if your profile selection is incorrect.

  7. Once the selected entry has been added to the grid, do one of the following (if required):

    • View practitioners - Open the profile to view in Practitioners Details and make any required changes.

    • Remove practitioners - If your prescriber selection is incorrect.

  8. Save your changes to return.

View medicines

The Medicines grid displays the medicines that have been selected for the authority .

At least one medicine must be selected and its related fields (Strength etc) filled out before you can Submit the authority.

Add Medicine

Select medicines from the Medicine Group

  1. From Medicine Group, select the medicine group that is relevant to the Authority.

    To refine the list, do one of the following:

    • Enter a medicine name (generic or brand), then Search .

      — or —

      Apply additional filters to each column header.

  2. Select the line entries that are relevant to the authority.
  3. Select Add to Authority to add your selection .

    Ensure you have selected all the required lines.

    You have not selected all items, Please select any unselected medicines that are required (use the page controls if necessary).

    You are returned to your authority page where your selection displays in the Medicines grid.

  4. In the Medicines grid, complete the required information (Dose, UoM, Formulation and Frequency) that is specific to the authority.

Edit your selection in the medicines grid

  1. For each line entry in the Medicines grid, enter or select additional details about Dose, UoM, Formulation and Frequency.
  2. Save your changes.

Remove Medicine

  • Select to remove a line entry from the Medicines grid.

The Dosing points section is only used for Authority to prescribe - Opioid use disorder. At least one dosing point must be selected in order to Submit.

You must select a patient before selecting a dosing point.

Add Organisation is used to include the dosing point information in the authority.

Add Organisation

  1. Enter at least one character in Name, Suburb, Postcode or enter the Pharmacy Approval Number.
  2. If required, apply additional filters to each column header.
  3. Select the relevant entry, then Save to add it to the grid (or Cancel to return to the previous page). If multiple dosing points are required, search and select again.
  4. If you cannot find the organisation, select Create Organisation to be re-directed to the Organisations page.

    See Organisations

Optional for Submit and Approve.

Select one or more check boxes for the relevant Medical status/Diagnosis. The selections are displayed under Selected treatment.

You can also enter additional information in the box on the right.

Optional for Submit and Approve.

For Authority to prescribe - Opioid use disorder: select the relevant Drug(s) of dependence - substance(s) misused.

For other authority types, enter the Name of specialist and Other medications concurrently prescribed, if relevant.

The Declarations section must be filled out before the authority can be Submitted.

  1. Select a Declaration of drug dependency. Options are: No drug dependency, Iatrogenic, or Illicit.

  2. Select the relevant yes/no response for Current intravenous drug use?

  3. Select the relevant yes/no response for History of intravenous drug use?

  4. Select a Notification of drug seeking. Options are: No history of drug seeking behaviour, History of drug seeking behaviour, Currently exhibiting drug seeking behaviour.

  5. Select the relevant yes/no response for Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

  6. After reading the Acknowledgement, select the checkbox.

Optional for Submit and Approve.

Select all relevant conditions under which this authority is requested. Multiple selections are allowed.

Conditions are grouped under the following headings:

  • Staged Supply Conditions

  • Specialist Report Conditions

  • Peer Review

  • Other Authority Information

The conditions selected are included in the letters generated for this authority.

The conditions available vary by authority type.

You can add tasks when the Status of the authority is any of the following:

  • Approved

  • In progress

  • Pending

  • Pending further advice

  • Submitted

  • Waiting for additional information

View Task

Related tasks display (10 per page) in reverse chronological order in the grid.

  • (If required) Apply additional filters to each column header.
  • (if required) Select any column header to sort.

Create Task

  • Priority - (Optional) Low, Medium, High

  • Status - (Mandatory) Open or Closed

  • Assigned to - (Mandatory) Select the relevant user role.

    All tasks assigned to your user role display on the Tasks Dashboard.

  • Due Date - (Mandatory) Must be a future date.

  • Date Created - (Read-only) Today's date

  • Task type - Select from the list.

  • Notes - 1000 characters max.

When all the mandatory fields have been completed, Save is enabled.

The task is visible on the Dashboard screen to users with the relevant role.

Your authority has been updated successfully.

Depending on the status of the authority, the following authority related letters can be generated:

  • Additional information letter

  • Authority Approved letter

  • Authority Refused letter

  • Authority Amended letter

  • Authority Revoked letter

To generate a letter, the practitioner’s profile must have an organisation flagged as their postal address. See Practitioner Profile and Organisations

Upload Document

Attach any digital copy of letters associated with this authority.

  • Date of document - Date the document was created or obtained by the user.

  • Date received - Date the document was received by Management Portal user.

  • Document type - Select from the list.

  • Source

    • Inbound - Received by Department of Health (Default).

    • Outbound - Initiated by Department of Health.

  • Sender/Recipient - Either the person or organisation who provided the document, or for whose benefit the document was uploaded.

  • Sensitive - By default, all uploaded documents are flagged as Sensitive. Practitioners cannot view this document in the Practitioner portal, unless the flag is removed.

    Correspondence attached to an organisation cannot be viewed or accessed by practitioners.

  • Choose file - Select a single file to be uploaded. Max size is 4 MB.

  • Drop file here - Drag-and-drop a file to be uploaded.

  • Upload - The document is uploaded to TasScript.

    Your document has been successfully uploaded.

    If the document's file type is not allowed, or if malware is detected, the upload is not permitted.

    The document selected is not a permitted file type.

    The document selected did not pass the malware scan and has been rejected.

  • Cancel - The document is not uploaded.

Edit document details

Select Edit to modify the document details displayed in the grid.

If the document was uploaded, all Document Details can be edited.

If the document was generated by TasScript, you can only modify two entries.

  • Document status: To be reviewed, In review, Review completed

  • Sensitive: Remove this flag if you want the document to be displayed in the Practitioner portal.

When the Status of the authority is changed to Approved, the Authority Approved letter is generated and saved in the grid, with the relevant metadata. The Authority approval number and version is appended to the file name.

View Correspondence

All correspondence is displayed in the grid in reverse chronological order.

  • Open - Select the Filename to open the attached document (and download it).

  • Edit - Select Edit to modify the document details displayed in the grid.

  • Delete - Select Delete to remove the document from the grid. (Only system administrators have access to delete documents.)

Your document has been deleted successfully.

Optional

Notes are visible to other regulators.

  1. Enter your note (up to 1000 characters), then Save.

    The Notes section displays 20 of the most recently added notes, sorted in reverse chronological order.

    Each note displays with a Date/Time stamp and the name of the user who created it.

  2. Select Show more to display all notes.

A new note can be added to an authority, regardless of its status. Notes can be added after the authority has been approved.

Existing notes cannot be updated after being saved.

This grid shows earlier or later versions of the same authority (with the same authority number).

Click on a version in the grid to open in a new tab.

  1. Set the Status to Submit, then Save to create the authority.

    Your authority has been created successfully.

    All authorities display in Authority Search with their current Status. Status is updated when a new Action field is selected.

    If attempting to close an authority without saving, the following message is displayed:

    Are you sure you want to leave this page without saving? Your changes will be lost.

    • Cancel to continue editing the authority.
    • OK to return to the form you started from.