CTO Prescribing Statistics and Funding

NSW Ministry of Health did not have the information requested.

Dear NSW Ministry of Health,
Do you hold statistics for drugs prescribed under CTOs? For example, the number of people prescribed a particular drug each year under the conditions of a CTO.
Does NSW Health or any other NSW government department pay for medicines prescribed in CTOs?
If NSW publicly funds the medicines, are CTOs limited to PBS subsidised medicines?

Yours faithfully,
Jennifer Grant

MOH-GIPA, NSW Ministry of Health

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MOH-GIPA, NSW Ministry of Health

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Grant

 

Thank you for your email to the NSW Ministry of Health in relation to your
informal request as below.

 

Following internal consultations with the Mental Health Branch (MHB)
within the Ministry, the following advice has been provided and approved
by the Executive Director in response to your request.

 

The Mental Health Branch (MHB) does not hold this information. Exactly
which medications CTO consumers are on is not held centrally and would be
difficult to pull together at a local health district (LHD) / specialty
health network (SHN) level. Medications are funded by the Commonwealth
(PBS), and in rare circumstances LHDs or Networks may cover costs short
term (e.g. for a non-resident patient without a Medicare card).

 

CTOs generally do specify treatment by medication at the time of the
order, but the clinical team is not bound by this. The MHB are not sure if
these records are kept by the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) as they
are a separate agency to Ministry. You will need to contact them directly
to make further enquiries.

 

Additionally, please refer to the below responses to your enquiry:

 a. The statistics for drugs prescribed under CTOs, for example, the
number of people prescribed a particular drug each year under the
conditions of a CTO, is not held by the Ministry. You may refer this
enquiry directly to the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT).
 b. Medications are funded by the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS) and in rare circumstances Local Health Districts (LHDs)
may cover costs short term (e.g. for a non-resident patient without a
Medicare card).

Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) would be the most common
pathway for subsidised medicines for Medicare eligibles.

There are only very limited exemptions for Medicare ineligibles to access
subsidised medicines via Local Health Districts (LHDs). These only relate
to certain infectious diseases for communicable disease control e.g. TB,
leprosy, and HIV (via PBS S100 being administered by the LHDs) – and
humanitarian refugees (who are assessed as otherwise qualified for
Medicare – whilst waiting for their applications to be processed).

 c. The Ministry does not have any information relevant to fundings as
these are funded by the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
(PBS).

 

We trust this information is of assistance to you.

 

Thank you.

 

Kind regards

 

NSW Ministry of Health GIPA Team 

Corporate Governance and Risk Management Unit (CGRM)

Legal and Regulatory Services Branch (LRS)

NSW Ministry of Health - 1 Reserve Road, St Leonards NSW 2065

[1][NSW Ministry of Health request email]
[2]www.health.nsw.gov.au

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and pay respects to
Elders past and present. We also acknowledge all the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander staff working with NSW Government at this time.

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer Grant <[3][FOI #12160 email]>
Sent: Friday, 11 October 2024 9:50 PM
To: MOH-GIPA <[4][NSW Ministry of Health request email]>
Subject: CM: Email from applicant - Informal request - Jennifer Grant
(rigtht to know) - CTO Prescribing Statistics and Funding - GIPA24/206 -
11.10.24

 

[You don't often get email from
[5][FOI #12160 email]. Learn why this is
important at [6]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear NSW Ministry of Health,

Do you hold statistics for drugs prescribed under CTOs? For example, the
number of people prescribed a particular drug each year under the
conditions of a CTO.

Does NSW Health or any other NSW government department pay for medicines
prescribed in CTOs?

If NSW publicly funds the medicines, are CTOs limited to PBS subsidised
medicines?

 

Yours faithfully,

Jennifer Grant

 

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Dear MOH-GIPA,
I am very grateful for your efforts in answering my questions.
For the benefit of others who may read this request and be interested, prior to contacting the MOH, I contacted the MHRT and they advised they do not hold the information. That prompted my request through Right To Know.
Despite hope that the information would be accessible (thus the request) I anticipated the answer you have given would likely be the case and appreciate the reasons you have provided.
I am particularly thankful for your dedication to assisting the public to understand the health system which is evident in the detail of the information which has exceeded my expectations.
With thanks,
Jennifer Grant