A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour or mental act that you feel you need to do to temporarily relieve the unpleasant feelings brought on by the obsessive thought. Some drugs may have Authority Required (Streamlined) status which does not require an explicit approval from Medicare, instead the doctor can use the Authority code found in the published Schedule for a given drug/indication. It can be distressing and significantly interfere with a sufferer’s life, but treatment – talking therapy, often cognitive behaviour therapy, or medication – can help. AQUA/WATER/EAU, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE, DISODIUM EDTA, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, PEG-150 PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRASTEARATE, POLYURETHANE CROSSPOLYMER-2, HEXYL CINNAMAL, MAGNESIUM NITRATE, PEG-6 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, POLYQUATERNIUM-7, BENZYL SALICYLATE, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, UREA, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, ACRYLAMIDOPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE/ACRYLAMIDE COPOLYMER, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, XANTHAN GUM, CHLORHEXIDINE DIGLUCONATE, MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, BHT, EXT. D&C VIOLET NO. 2 (CI 60730), FD&C BLUE NO. 1 (CI 42090).

An obsession is an unwanted and unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters your mind, causing feelings of anxiety, disgust or unease. OCD can affect men, women and children, and most commonly begins around puberty and early adulthood. It can be caused by life events, family history, higher serotonin in the brain and meticulous personalities. NHS describes OCD as ‘a mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.’Prescriptions must be written on an Authority Prescription Form, and the approval number must be noted on the prescription. Pharmacists cannot dispense the item as a pharmaceutical benefit unless it has been approved by Medicare Australia (indicated by the presence of the approval number).

Some PBS medications are restricted and require prior approval from Medicare before a doctor is able to prescribe them on the PBS. This prior approval to prescribe grants the doctor the Authority to prescribe the desired medicine and have it funded under the PBS. Authority to prescribe an Authority medicine is granted for specific indications and/or for certain patient circumstances. Authority may be obtained by telephone to Medicare Australia (known as "phone approval") or in writing from an authorised delegate of the Minister for Health.