Patient guide
What happens to your approval when your Clinician changes?
When a different Clinician takes over your care inside the same clinic, your record stays on file at the clinic. Your TGA approval does not move across, because it names the Clinician who applied, so your new Clinician applies in their own name, usually after a consultation. General information, not medical or legal advice.
Last verified 16 October 2026 against the TGA, state health department and OAIC pages. Rules change; check with your clinic before you rely on this.
Part of our guide to how an SAS-B approval works, start to finish.
The short answer
- A TGA Special Access Scheme Category B approval names one prescriber. The TGA states that the prescriber named on the approval letter is the only practitioner authorised to use it, so a new Clinician cannot prescribe under it, even inside the same clinic.
- Your new Clinician makes their own application to the TGA, which states that it processes applications in 2 to 5 days. Expect a consultation first, because the applicant gives the clinical justification and must obtain your informed consent.
- Your clinical record stays with the clinic. Consultation notes, consent forms and approval letters are part of it, so your new Clinician starts from the same history.
- Tell the clinic the date on your current approval letter and how many repeats you have left, so the new application can go in before you run short.
Changing clinics
Moving your care from another clinic?
Our changing clinics page explains what to bring: your current prescription details and, if you have one, a treatment summary. A LeafLine Clinician reviews your history at a first consultation and decides what happens next.
At a glance
What carries over to your new Clinician, and what is redone
Records the clinic holds stay on your file. An approval granted to your previous Clinician in their own name has to be applied for again, and any state permit depends on the state's rules.
| Item | Carries over? | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your clinical record | Yes | The clinic holds it, so your new Clinician reads the same history. You can also ask the clinic for a copy | TGA SAS guidance; OAIC |
| Consultation notes and consent forms | Yes, as records | They stay on your file. Your new Clinician obtains your consent for their own prescribing, because the TGA places that duty on the prescribing practitioner | TGA SAS guidance |
| Your TGA approval | No | The approval names one prescriber. Your new Clinician applies in their own name, and the TGA states it processes applications in 2 to 5 days | TGA SAS page; WA Department of Health |
| A state permit or approval, where your state required one | Depends on the state | Victoria lets other practitioners at the same clinic prescribe under a colleague’s current Schedule 8 permit, within its conditions. NSW, from 5 November 2026, exempts temporary cover at the same practice. Your Clinician checks the rest | Victorian Department of Health; NSW Health |
| Repeats on a prescription already written | Ask the clinic | None of the official pages we read says what happens to repeats written before a change of prescriber. Ask the clinic before your next dispensing date | Not stated in the sources read |
| Booking and payment details | Yes | Your account sits with the clinic, so your bookings, history and payment details stay as they are | LeafLine practice |
Current at 16 October 2026. General information, not medical or legal advice. Sources, all read 16 October 2026 unless noted: TGA, Access to unapproved therapeutic goods for individual patients (Special Access Scheme) (last updated 3 December 2025); TGA, Special Access Scheme guidance for health practitioners (last updated 1 October 2024); NSW Health, Medicine approvals (current as at 6 July 2026, describing the rules that apply from 5 November 2026); Victorian Department of Health, Schedule 8 permits and notifications (updated 7 September 2026); Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Access your personal information. The Western Australian Department of Health site refused our connection on 16 October, so its statement that approvals are not transferable to another prescriber rests on our read of 1 September 2026. We have not covered the Queensland, South Australian, Tasmanian, Northern Territory or ACT rules on a change of prescriber. No official page we read addresses repeats written before a change, so the table says to ask the clinic. Booking and payment details describe how LeafLine holds patient accounts.
Start here
Three rules behind the table
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The approval belongs to the prescriber
The TGA gives the approval to the practitioner who applied, for one patient, and the named prescriber is the only practitioner authorised to use it. A standard condition of approval is that the approval holder accepts responsibility for the outcome, which is why a colleague cannot step into it.
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The record belongs to the clinic
The TGA treats approval letters, application forms and consent forms like any other medical record. They sit on your file at the clinic, together with your consultation notes, and your new Clinician can read that file before your first appointment with them.
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State rules run separately
The TGA states that its approval does not override state or territory requirements. Where your state also required its own permit or approval, that layer follows its own rules on a change of prescriber, and those rules differ between states.
The approval
Why a new Clinician needs a new approval
A Special Access Scheme Category B approval is granted by the TGA to a health practitioner, for an individual patient, on a case-by-case basis. The TGA states that the prescriber named on the approval letter is the only practitioner authorised to use it (TGA, read 16 October 2026). Working in the same clinic as that prescriber does not change this. The approval sits with the person, and the clinic does not hold it on your behalf.
Your new Clinician therefore applies in their own name. The application sets out a brief clinical justification for your treatment, and the standard conditions of approval make the approval holder responsible for the outcome (TGA SAS guidance, read 16 October 2026). Category B is an application pathway, so the new Clinician waits for the approval letter before prescribing. The TGA states that applications are processed in 2 to 5 days, and longer if it needs more information.
Western Australia's Department of Health says the same thing in plain terms: approvals under the Special Access Scheme Category B and Authorised Prescriber pathways are not transferable to another prescriber (read 1 September 2026). The new approval runs for the period written on its own letter. The approval guide explains what that period means and what happens at expiry.
Your file stays at the clinic, and your new Clinician can read it before your first appointment with them.
Your record
What your new Clinician already has
Your clinical record belongs to the clinic, and a change of Clinician leaves it where it is. It holds your consultation notes, your consent forms and the approval letters issued to your previous Clinician. The TGA says archiving application forms, consent forms and approval letters is no different from archiving other medical records (TGA SAS guidance, read 16 October 2026).
Your new Clinician can read that file before they see you, so your first consultation with them starts from your history. They will still ask their own questions, because they make their own clinical judgement and the TGA requires the prescribing practitioner to obtain your informed consent before treating you.
You can ask for a copy of your record at any time. Australian privacy law gives you a general right to access your health information, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner treats 30 days as a reasonable period for an organisation to respond (OAIC, read 16 October 2026).
The state layer
What state rules add
The TGA states that its approval does not override any state or territory requirement that has to be met before an unapproved product can be obtained, prescribed or administered (TGA SAS guidance, read 16 October 2026). In the two states we checked, a separate state permit or approval is needed only in defined cases, such as treating a person with a drug dependence. Where yours was one of those cases, a change of Clinician is handled under that state's own rules, and the states we checked treat it differently.
In Victoria, where one practitioner at a clinic with several practitioners holds a current Schedule 8 permit for a patient, other practitioners at the same clinic may prescribe under it, within any limits and conditions on the permit (Victorian Department of Health, updated 7 September 2026, read 16 October 2026). In New South Wales, the rules that apply from 5 November 2026 exempt a practitioner from needing their own NSW approval when they temporarily replace or cover a colleague who holds one, provide continuation treatment only, and practise at the same practice or were nominated by the original practitioner (NSW Health, read 16 October 2026).
Both rules sit at the state layer only. Neither lets a second Clinician use the TGA approval, which still names one prescriber. We have not covered the other states and territories here. Your Clinician checks what applies where you live, and the moving interstate guide explains how state permits work.
Read this if you are told your Clinician is changing
Give the clinic two dates
Tell the clinic the date on your current approval letter and the date you expect to need your next supply. Those two dates decide how soon your consultation with the new Clinician should be, because the new application has to be approved before they can prescribe. If either date is less than a month away, say so when you book. The renewal guide sets out how far ahead to book a review, and LeafLine patients can reach the team through the support page. If you are moving to a different clinic altogether, the changing clinics page covers what to bring.
When your Clinician changes: common questions
Will I need a new consultation?
Expect one. Your new Clinician has to make their own application to the TGA, with a brief clinical justification for your treatment, and the TGA requires the prescribing practitioner to obtain your informed consent before treating you. The clinic will tell you which appointment type to book. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.
Does my existing prescription stop working?
None of the official pages we read answers this for repeats written before a change of prescriber, so ask the clinic before your next dispensing date. What the TGA does state is that the prescriber named on the approval letter is the only practitioner authorised to use it, so any new prescription from your new Clinician needs their own approval behind it.
How long does a new approval take?
The TGA states that it processes applications in 2 to 5 days, and longer if it needs more information from the prescriber. Add the time to book and hold the consultation before the application goes in. Your Clinician will tell you when it has been lodged and when the TGA has made its decision.
Can my new Clinician prescribe under my old approval while the new one is processed?
No. The TGA states that the prescriber named on the approval letter is the only practitioner authorised to use it. Category B is an application pathway: the practitioner applies and must wait for approval before prescribing.
Will my new Clinician be able to see my history?
Yes. Your clinical record is held by the clinic, and it includes your consultation notes, consent forms and approval letters. The TGA treats those documents like any other medical record. Your new Clinician can read the file before your first appointment with them.
Can I get a copy of my records?
Yes. Australian privacy law gives you a general right to access your personal information, including health information. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner says an organisation must respond within a reasonable period and treats 30 days as reasonable. An organisation may charge for access, but the charge cannot be excessive.
Does the new approval run for the same period as the old one?
Not necessarily. The TGA states that a Category B approval is valid for the period specified on the approval letter, as long as the conditions of approval are upheld. If a new approval is granted, it runs for the period on its own letter, so check the date on that letter.
What if my Clinician is only away for a short time?
The TGA rule still applies: only the named prescriber can use the approval. Some state rules allow cover inside the same practice. Victoria lets other practitioners at the same clinic prescribe under a colleague’s current Schedule 8 permit, and NSW, from 5 November 2026, exempts a practitioner temporarily covering a colleague at the same practice from needing a separate NSW approval. Neither of those changes the TGA position, so ask the clinic how cover will work if your supply will run short during the absence.
Do I need to apply to the TGA or my state health department myself?
No. The TGA gives approvals to health practitioners, and your new Clinician, or a health practitioner acting on their behalf, makes the application. The same goes for any state permit or approval your Clinician needs.
What if I am moving to a different clinic instead?
The approval works the same way: it names your previous prescriber, so the prescriber at your new clinic applies in their own name. The difference is your record. It stays with your old clinic, so ask for a copy or a treatment summary to bring to your first consultation.
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