MBS item 900: what it is and how the referral works
MBS item 900 supports a GP’s part of a Home Medicines Review (HMR) — assessing and referring the patient, reviewing the pharmacist’s report and developing a medication management plan. The funded pharmacist HMR is provided at no charge to the patient, but the GP appointment may have its usual fee unless bulk billed.
What MBS item 900 covers
Item 900 is the Medicare Benefits Schedule item for qualifying GP participation in a Home Medicines Review. The pharmacist HMR service is funded separately through the Community Pharmacy Programs and must be provided at no charge to the patient. The GP appointment for referral and plan development may still have its usual fee unless it is bulk billed.
Because MBS item numbers, descriptors and fees are reviewed from time to time, this page deliberately does not quote a dollar figure or repeat the descriptor word for word. For the current fee and the exact wording of what is required, MBS Online is the source to check before you claim.
What you need to do to claim it
Before claiming item 900, the GP must complete every component in the current descriptor:
- Assess the patient. The GP assesses the patient as having a chronic medical condition or complex medication regimen and as not having their therapeutic goals met.
- Refer and provide relevant clinical information. The refer a patient page covers the current HMR Program Rules for the written referral.
- Discuss the review with the pharmacist. This includes the results and suggested medication-management strategies.
- Develop a written medication management plan after discussing it with the patient.
- Provide the written plan to a community pharmacy chosen by the patient.
The referral alone does not complete item 900. MBS Online states that the claim can be submitted only after all requirements have been completed.
Who can start the referral
For the item 900 pathway, the GP assesses and refers the patient. Under the wider HMR Program Rules, specialists in pain medicine, specialist physicians, specialist psychiatrists and specialists in palliative medicine may also generate HMR referrals. Practice nurses and allied health professionals can help identify a possible need and prepare information, but they are not listed as eligible referrers acting alone.
When a review is worth considering, and where it sits next to chronic disease planning
For item 900, the mandatory assessment is that the patient has a chronic medical condition or complex medication regimen and is not meeting their therapeutic goals. The prompts below may inform clinical assessment, but they do not replace the descriptor:
- Several regular medicines, especially if more than one prescriber is involved
- A recent hospital admission or emergency department visit
- A recent significant change to the medicine regimen
- Signs the patient or their family is unsure what to take, when, or why
- Use of a Webster pack or similar dose administration aid
- Several ongoing conditions being managed at once
The HMR Program has its own patient-eligibility criteria in addition to the MBS descriptor. A general overview is on the cost and eligibility page; MBS Online remains authoritative for item 900.
Under the rules current on 30 August 2026, item 900 does not require an existing GP chronic condition management plan. MBS Online states that this will change from 1 July 2027, when DMMR patients will require such a plan. Check MBS Online before claiming because descriptors and commencement dates can change.
One thing item 900 does not cover: patients in permanent residential aged care. That group is served by a different item and a different program, the Residential Medication Management Review, which is not something I currently offer. If a patient of yours is in a residential aged care facility, an HMR referral is not the right pathway.
If you think a patient may benefit, you can discuss the pathway via request a review. HomeMed is taking enquiries while its MMR credential and service-provider approval are being finalised; funded referrals will be accepted only after both are confirmed.
Patients and families can find the consumer-facing explanation on the Home Medicines Review program page.
Common questions
Does my patient qualify for an HMR?
For item 900, the GP must assess the patient as having a chronic medical condition or complex medication regimen and as not having their therapeutic goals met. The GP must also complete every referral, report-discussion, written-plan and community-pharmacy step in the current descriptor. Clinical prompts may inform that assessment, but they do not replace the descriptor.
Can a practice nurse refer a patient for a Home Medicines Review?
No — under item 900 the referral has to come from the patient’s GP, not a practice nurse or another allied health professional acting alone. A nurse can absolutely flag a patient as a possible candidate, pull together the medicine list, and prepare the referral for the GP to review and sign, but the GP is the one who authorises it. Rules around this can be updated, so it is worth confirming the current position with your practice or MBS Online if you are unsure.
What do I need to include when I refer a patient?
The written referral requirements are set by the HMR Program Rules. The refer a patient page lists the current required content and useful optional additions.
Is MBS item 900 the same as a residential medication management review?
No, they are different items under different programs. A Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) applies to patients in permanent residential aged care, while item 900 applies to a Home Medicines Review for patients living in the community. HomeMed is prelaunch and does not offer RMMRs. Funded HMR reviews will begin only after its MMR credential and service-provider approval are confirmed.
Where can I find the current fee and exact descriptor for item 900?
MBS Online is the authoritative source, since item numbers, descriptors and fees are reviewed and can change. This page describes the general shape of what is involved rather than quoting the descriptor or a dollar figure, precisely because that detail is best checked at the time you are claiming.
Not sure what to do next?
Send an enquiry about the medicines or referral pathway and I’ll explain the next step. An enquiry does not commit you to a review.
For GPs & practice managers
Prepare the referral pathway
Planning guides for Bp Premier and MedicalDirector, a referral-form template and HomeMed’s service aims are collected on one page. Funded referrals will open only after launch requirements are confirmed.