--- title: eSpecial Authority User Manual slug: portal-sub/especial-authority-user-manual docTags: createdAt: 2026-03-04T12:03:18.470Z --- The Ministry of Health NZ has implemented an electronic Special Authorities system which enables doctors to submit Special Authority applications online and receive approval details in real time. Pharmacies are also able to access the system and check whether a patient has a Special Authority approval for a drug. The benefits include reduced paperwork, pharmacist/doctor interaction and time to input information. Speed and accuracy are also improved, especially with immediate validation. ## Requirement Profile must be configured as per the eSpecial Authority Configuration document. Please contact your IT support if this has not been done. ## Special Authority System In the Special Authority system, Pharmac can augment the list of Special Authority drugs or make changes to the current list. The system allows for automatic approvals. In Profile, the Pharmac schedule is imported and updated via the monthly NZULM jaffa import process. ## Workflow ### eSpecial Authority 1. Open a **New Encounter** for a patient and select the **Scripts** view. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/R_OY56V980SLWm4KEIZCI_i2qlglasz21kys4oxoekjr5nneryvfe2a.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/I2_qlGlasz21kys4oXOEKjr5nnErYVfE2A.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/I2_qlGlasz21kys4oXOEKjr5nnErYVfE2A.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} 2. Prescribe a drug that is part of the Special Authority Group and press **OK**. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/VBwzFYkR8Ir-lZEydq_Td_icsfgbbufass-bgjnybv4pzdgdw5xuec3a.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/icsfgBBUfASS-bgjNyBV4pzdGDW5XuEC3A.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/icsfgBBUfASS-bgjNyBV4pzdGDW5XuEC3A.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} :::hint{type="info"} **Hot Tip** The instruction line in the formulary table turns blue for Special Authority drugs. ::: 3. The Special Authority form opens. Enter the required clinical and medication information in the form for the patient and press **Send**. The information at the top of the Special Authority for \[Patient] window is disabled as it will be populated from the eSpecial Authority responses. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/67RXeRHt5bM2bzd04xaKF_ly0ilhgpizbweynzobfl3zlu2hbratptq.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/ly0IlHGPiZbwEyN_zOBfl3Zlu2HbrAtPtQ.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/ly0IlHGPiZbwEyN_zOBfl3Zlu2HbrAtPtQ.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} :::Paragraph{indent="1"} Profile makes a call to the eSpecial Authority system and displays a progress dialog box. ::: ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/GB2EYr0s_ohp2TNu_I6ds_2auzqf-30hwfbq4jkdvweer8t9rmyskg.png" size="59" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/2AuZQF-30HWfBq4jkDvwEeR8T9_r_mYsKg.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/2AuZQF-30HWfBq4jkDvwEeR8T9_r_mYsKg.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} 4. If the eSpecial Authority request is accepted, a dialog box is displayed. Press **OK**. If the request is not accepted, a dialogue box with the reason and/or the action to take will display. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/oC-_xHYIlzgdcQCUgncw9_qqtli4noagumsmxzmtv0zasr13evah23oq.png" size="53" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/QQTli4nOAgUMSmxzMtV0ZaSR13EVAh23OQ.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/QQTli4nOAgUMSmxzMtV0ZaSR13EVAh23OQ.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} :::Paragraph{indent="1"} The eSpecial Authority form approval information has been entered automatically. ::: ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/Om9RceYN6KZx-tmBw9eFC_vwtf9uslpj7n71zxxwlgmeurwnrlprwsg.png" size="98" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/vwTf9UslPj7N71_ZxxWlGMEuRwnrlPRWsg.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/vwTf9UslPj7N71_ZxxWlGMEuRwnrlPRWsg.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} 5. Press **Save**, which saves the eSpecial Authority form and closes it. 6. Print out the prescription order. The Special Authority information is displayed on the order. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/cYE9eRC_XJds4GUcpgbkP_bciprjqcac-itorg6zn8nhrpyazj652pg.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/bCIPRjqca_c-itoRG6Zn8NhRPYazJ652Pg.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/bCIPRjqca_c-itoRG6Zn8NhRPYazJ652Pg.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} ### Manual Special Authority Initially, there will be many Special Authorities that already exist on paper and, therefore, are not valid to **Reapply**. The Provider can formally add this existing Special Authority information into Profile using the **New Manual Authority** option. 1. Open a **New Encounter** for a patient and select the **Scripts** view. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/wrvutORuD-o6FZYtqvncn_kajshcxr3g1mzekr4lxaerdtm4lndtm2aq.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/KaJSHcxR3G1mzEkr4lxaerDtm4LnDtM2aQ.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/KaJSHcxR3G1mzEkr4lxaerDtm4LnDtM2aQ.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} 2. Prescribe a drug that is part of the Special Authority Group and press **OK**. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/5qDwPwB-fWHDRJA-cHlhl_folgmd238bad4ptk2aun0ilshdxvxujnw.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/folgmd238BaD4P_Tk2Aun0iLShdXVxUjNw.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/folgmd238BaD4P_Tk2Aun0iLShdXVxUjNw.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} :::hint{type="info"} **Hot Tip** The instruction line in the formulary table turns blue for Special Authority drugs. ::: 3. Right-click on the drug in the current order panel and select the **New Manual Authority** option. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/bw2M2ctZuhUo20Wz7g6rO_dggp7ffdotpzcjiepernbtm3yuqzid8ugw.png" size="65" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/DGGp7FfdoTPZcjIEpErnbtm3yUqziD8Ugw.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/DGGp7FfdoTPZcjIEpErnbtm3yUqziD8Ugw.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} 4. The Special Authority form appears with the **Approval Status** and **Submitted** fields available for selection or entry and the **Application** status set to **\< Manually Created >**. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/F3VWm6AjCqcQd1jP7anho_j26c2u4lg6epp15dukciw-hfhwixjuxnmw.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/J26c2u4lG6ePp15dUKCiW-hFHWIXJUxNmw.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/J26c2u4lG6ePp15dUKCiW-hFHWIXJUxNmw.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} :::Paragraph{indent="1"} As soon as you select the **Approval Status** option, the rest of the Approval fields become enabled. ::: 5. Fill out the form with the appropriate information. 6. Press **Save**, which saves the eSpecial Authority form and closes it. 7. Print out the prescription order. The Special Authority information is displayed on the order. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/1whVWonvws-muevONIw30_9vn0za8-9hgiolfisxf6ld7gn5qpfwqg.png" size="100" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/9vn0Za8-9hGiolFisXf6ld7GN5QpfwQ__g.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/9vn0Za8-9hGiolFisXf6ld7GN5QpfwQ__g.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} ## Additional Information ### NZULM and the eSpecial Authority Flag In the NZULM model, it’s the packages that are flagged as Special Authority; there is no unique preparation for each package. A preparation or chemical will be flagged as Special Authority only if all the packages to which it belongs are flagged as Special Authority. ### Filtering for Subsidized Drugs - Special Authority drugs can be displayed in the NZULM formulary by entering “Special Authority” in the search field and pressing **Rx** and expanding the list by clicking **+** for both Special Authority Drugs and Pharmac SA Group. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/EtDsvM8gEeWzg1wJthtXS_88i3tcsentftur0h5y6chnjre21mwd8trq.png" size="80" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/88I3tcSEntFtUR0H5Y6CHnjrE21MwD8tRQ.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/88I3tcSEntFtUR0H5Y6CHnjrE21MwD8tRQ.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} - In the Formulary Filters window, accessed via **Edit...** at the end of the **View** field of the Formulary window, the **Subsidized Drugs** checkbox can be checked to narrow the list to be displayed. ::Image[]{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/optimize/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/IW2PgPvuGfsXkgrUeJuP8_wpvooo93a9pdfl-gfws-szamswq7vacvta.png" size="74" isUploading="false" initialPath="assets/wpVOOO93a9pDfl-gfWS-szAMswQ7vacVTA.png" githubPath="en/Medication Management/Prescriptions - New Zealand/assets/wpVOOO93a9pDfl-gfWS-szAMswQ7vacVTA.png" position="flex-start" showCaption="false" indent="2"} *** ## Attachments ::File{src="https://api.qa.archbee.co/api/presign/zICxj0dnLereb6UUrBA3-/vM_gplwrJWY9kHOVp-JWR_6000237251-especial-authority-user-manual.pdf" label="eSpecial Authority User Manual.pdf" initialPath="../../../attachments-export/6000237251-eSpecial%20Authority%20User%20Manual.pdf" githubPath="attachments-export/6000237251-eSpecial Authority User Manual.pdf"}