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PBS Authority Scripts - Approving Authority Scripts in Lyrebird

How to use PBS Authority Scripts inside Lyrebird to approve PBS authority prescriptions without leaving the consult. Save, Sync, Submit.

PBS Authority Scripts lets you approve PBS authority prescriptions from inside the Lyrebird sidebar - no portal tab, no hold music, no re-typing patient details. Sign in to PRODA once for the day and get approvals back in seconds.

The one rule to remember: Save, Sync, Submit.

Save the script in Best Practice, Sync it into Lyrebird, then Submit the authority. Saving the script in Bp locks in the Authority Form Number. If you do not save first, Bp regenerates that number every time the authority screen is opened, and the number in Lyrebird will not match the number on your printed script.

What does this do?

When a medication requires a PBS authority, the usual process means stopping the consult and either logging in to the PRODA portal - with two-step verification, manual data entry, and a session that times out in five minutes - or calling the authority line and waiting on hold.

PBS Authority Scripts brings that process into Lyrebird. Patient and prescriber details sync from Bp, restriction questions are shown in full, and the approval number comes back in the panel ready to copy. The consult doesn't stop.

Before you start:

  • You need a working PRODA account through Services Australia. Lyrebird uses your existing PRODA credentials - it doesn't create one for you.

  • You also need Lyrebird connected to Bp and your clinic must be running a recent version of Best Practice to use Sync to Bp. If you haven't connected Lyrebird to Bp yet, see How Can I Enable Lyrebird on Bp & Link My Account?

  • If your clinic's Best Practice version doesn't yet support Sync to Bp, Lyrebird will display a plain-language message explaining that Best Practice needs to be updated. Share this message with your practice's IT support or software administrator so they can schedule the update - there's no need to contact Lyrebird support first.

Step-by-Step Guide

Part 1: Connect to PRODA

You only need to do this once. Once connected, your PRODA session stays active - on average around a week, and often longer the more frequently you use the feature. You won't need to log in again for every script, or even every day.

  1. Open the Authority Scripts panel

    1. Start a consult in Lyrebird from within Bp

    2. You can get here two ways: click the Authority Scripts tab in the sidebar, or select the Authority Scripts tile on the right-hand side of the consult view

  2. Log in to PRODA

    1. Click Login to PRODA (OAuth) - this opens a separate browser window taking you to the PRODA website, the same login page you'll be familiar with

    2. Enter your PRODA username and password, then scroll down and click Log in

    3. Enter your two-step verification code when prompted

    4. Once authentication is successful, the window closes and you are taken back into Lyrebird with PRODA connected showing in the panel

Part 2: Save the script in Best Practice

This part happens entirely in Bp, before you open the Authority Scripts tab in Lyrebird. It is the step that guarantees your Authority Form Number will match.

  1. Write the script in Bp

    1. Only scripts saved in Bp within the last two hours will appear in Lyrebird - this ensures the authority form number is current.

      • For existing authority medications: you do not need to re-write the script from scratch. Go to the existing script in Bp, right-click the medication and choose Edit authority details to open the authority screen, then proceed to step 2. The medication will appear in Lyrebird once you have saved.

      • Otherwise, add the medication that needs a PBS authority to the patient's script as you normally would

    2. The authority number field will be empty at this point

  2. Open the authority details

    1. Tick the medication so the authority details screen appears, or right click the medication and choose Edit authority

    2. Review and select the appropriate authority details for the medication before saving

  3. Click Save

    1. Click Save on the authority details screen

    2. This locks the Authority Form Number in Bp. From this point the number will not change, no matter how many times you tick or untick the medication

    3. Do not skip this step and do not leave the authority details screen open instead of saving it

Part 3: Sync the script and get the approval

  1. Sync the script into Lyrebird

    1. Return to the Lyrebird sidebar and click Synchronise with Bp

    2. The medication you just saved will appear in the panel with patient and prescriber details already filled in from Bp - no re-typing required

    3. Select the medication from the list to continue

  2. Check the Authority Form Number matches Bp

    1. Before submitting, confirm the Authority Form Number shown in Lyrebird is the same as the one on the script in Bp

    2. If it does not match, do not submit. Follow What to do if the Authority Form Number doesn't match below

  3. Answer the restriction questions

    1. Lyrebird shows the PBS restriction questions for that medication, with the full indication text displayed

    2. The indication you selected in Bp is automatically pre-selected - check it is correct, then answer any remaining questions

    3. Click Submit

  4. Receive and send the approval number

    1. The approval comes back in the panel within seconds

    2. Click Send to Bp to write the approval number directly back to the script in Bp - no copy and paste required.
      Then press F5 in Bp to refresh and see the approval number populated on the prescription

    3. Alternatively, click Copy approval number and paste it manually into the Authority No. field in Bp

    4. If the request is declined, the reason is shown in the panel so you can act on it without going to the portal

  5. Print the script

    1. Once the approval number is in Bp, print the script as normal

What to do if the Authority Form Number doesn't match

If the Authority Form Number in Lyrebird is different to the number on the script in Bp, do not submit the authority. An approval issued against the wrong form number will not be valid for the script you print.

Why this happens

Best Practice generates a new Authority Form Number each time the authority details screen is opened on an unsaved script. Until you click Save, that number keeps changing, so the number Lyrebird syncs will not stay in step with Bp. This is existing Bp behaviour rather than something Lyrebird is doing to the script. We have raised it with Best Practice and will update this article when it changes.

It is most common on patients who already have an existing authority medication. It does not usually happen on a brand new authority.

How to fix it

  1. In Bp, click Save on the script

  2. Untick and then re-tick the medication so the authority details screen reappears. The number in Bp should now stay the same

  3. Back out of the authority menu in Lyrebird

  4. Click Synchronise with Bp to re-sync

  5. Confirm the numbers now match, then submit the authority

Save first, every time. The mismatch is avoidable. If you open the authority details, click Save, and only then open the Authority Scripts tab in Lyrebird, the correct Authority Form Number is displayed from the start and no re-syncing is needed.

Tips for Best Results

  • Save, Sync, Submit. Save the script in Bp before you open the Authority Scripts tab in Lyrebird, sync it across, then submit the authority

  • Always write the script in Bp first - or open the existing authority script - then sync into Lyrebird using Synchronise with Bp. This is what pulls the medication details across without any manual entry

  • The Authority Scripts list shows the patient's prescribed medications, not only the ones that require a PBS authority. Select the medication you are seeking authority for from that list

  • If you add a new medication to the script mid-consult, save it in Bp, then click Synchronise with Bp again to pull the updated list through

  • The indication you selected in Bp carries through automatically and will be pre-selected in Lyrebird - just confirm it is correct before submitting

  • Use Send to Bp after approval to write the number directly to the script, then press F5 in Bp to see it populated — no copy and paste needed

  • If your PRODA session has expired (shown as Session expired in the panel), click Login to PRODA (OAuth) and re-authenticate. For most GPs this happens around once a week at most

  • If a request is declined, the reason appears in the panel. You can adjust your answers and resubmit without leaving Lyrebird - if asked to override, you can do so and resubmit directly

  • PBS Authority Scripts works for any medication on the PBS authority system. The restriction questions shown are specific to the medication you have selected

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I see the authority scripts feature on Lyrebird?

Ensure you have clicked an active consultation running on the Consult page - the panel for Authority Scripts tab will appear on the right-hand side, next to the Eligible MBS items/workflows tab.

Why isn't my medication appearing in the Authority Scripts panel?

Only scripts saved in Bp within the last two hours will appear in Lyrebird. If the medication isn't showing, check that the script has been saved in Bp recently.

For existing authority medications, open the script in Bp, right-click the medication, select Edit authority details, and click Save - this refreshes the script and it will appear in Lyrebird when you next click Synchronise with Bp.

We're here to help if you have any questions. Reach out to our support team for a same-day response at [email protected] or click the blue chat widget on the right.

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