20 August 2013
Dear Prescriber,
The State-Wide Equipment Program (SWEP) is the central point where all applications for
funding for the following programs will be processed:
 Aids & Equipment Program (A&EP)
 Supported Accommodation Equipment Assistance Scheme (SAEAS)
 Domiciliary Oxygen Program (DOP)
 Continence Aids Program (CA)
 Vehicle Modification Subsidy Scheme (VMSS)
SWEP REGISTRATION
From 1 September 2011, all allied health and nursing prescribers must be registered with
SWEP in order to have prescriptions accepted and acted upon. Prescribers will be registered
as individuals and not as organisations. Disability Care Australia (DCA) will be provided
access to prescriber registration information, but prescriber must ALSO register with DCA if
they intend to prescribe equipment for DCA clients.
RECOGNITION OF ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE
All SWEP prescribers will be allocated a traffic light colour which relates to the level of
recognition SWEP gives to your experience and further education.
 “Green” therapists can prescribe commonly used equipment for clients considered as
non-complex.
 “Amber” therapists will have a higher level of expertise and education. The equipment
they can prescribe and clients they can prescribe for are more complex.
 “Red” therapists are those recognised as experts in their field. Prescriptions requiring
the expertise of these therapists will be the most complicated, and the clients the most
complex.
WHAT IS NEEDED TO REGISTER
Registration is not difficult and a registration form is attached. To be registered you need to
send proof of qualifications (either a copy of your registration certificate, your professional
association membership, or your graduation certificate), address for correspondence and
contact details to be registered. You may need to provide evidence of name change if your
name is different to the one on your documents, and you will need to let us know if you have
any restrictions placed on your practice by external bodies.
You will also need to nominate the equipment categories for which you normally prescribe,
and whether you wish to prescribe for adults or children. All therapists registered with SWEP
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will be able to prescribe at a level which is deemed by the SWEP as “Green” in the categories
you nominate (Note that if you nominate a category in which current A&EP Guidelines do not
permit your discipline to prescribe, you will not be able to prescribe in that category).
The SWEP Equipment categories are:
Category
Beds, pressure care mattresses and
bed accessories (includes other
pressure care products)
Continence products
Electronic voice aids and voice
prostheses
Environmental Control Units
Home Modifications
Orthoses and custom/extra depth
shoes
Specialised bathing/toileting equipment
– (includes hydraulic change tables
(SAEAS))
Specialised Seating
Transfer equipment/Hoists & Slings
Vehicle Modifications – Driver
Vehicle Modifications – Passenger
Walking aids and standing equipment
Wheelchairs, Scooters, Strollers,
Seating systems and Pressure care
cushions
All other personal use items (includes
safety helmets and portable ramps)
Discipline currently
permitted to prescribe
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy (mattresses only)
Division 1 Registered Nurse
(Continence Nurse)
Speech Pathology
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy,
Orthotics/Prosthetics, Physiotherapy,
Podiatry
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy,
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy,
Physiotherapy
Vic Roads Accredited OT - Driver
Assessor
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy,
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy,
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Once you have been registered as a Green SWEP prescriber, you will be able to prescribe for
most clients.
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VALIDATION OF PRESCRIPTIONS
If you are a Green prescriber and you wish to prescribe more complex equipment or for a
more complex patient, you will need your prescription validated by a higher level prescriber. In
this case, the higher level prescriber must sign off that all necessary assessments have been
done and that the prescription is appropriate to the client.
CLINICAL ADVISORS
The SWEP has contracted a number of experts in equipment prescription across the
categories for both adults and children. Their roles and biographies appear on the SWEP
website (http://swep.bhs.org.au/prescribers/clinical-advisors ). If requested by SWEP, Clinical
Advisors can review prescriptions for remote or isolated “Green” or “Amber” prescribers and
either recommend approval or contact prescribers to offer advice about the prescription and
how to proceed. The SWEP will let you know if that is appropriate, and will make contact with
the Clinical Advisor if needed.
For clinical advice related to assessment of individual clients, for equipment, prescribers
should contact the Independent Living Centre (ILC)
http://www.nican.com.au/service/yooralla-independent-living-centre-victoria.
HOW TO GAIN SWEP PRESCRIBER RECOGNITION
Should you wish to routinely prescribe at a higher level than that allocated to Green registered
therapists (ie for more complex clients and/or complex equipment), you will need to submit to
SWEP additional information which allow recognition of your knowledge and experience.
Additional information required will include:
 Qualifications;
 Years of experience prescribing within each category requested, where that
experience was gained and the types of clients prescribed for;
 Current role and outline of the client/diagnostic groups for whom you prescribe;
 Further education or competency based training you have undertaken in the type of
equipment you prescribe (including relevant formal qualifications);
 Training or mentoring you provide in the area of expertise;
 Your role on advisory panels pertinent to the category of equipment;
 Professional Referees.
Once the SWEP receives this further information (which should be included in your initial
registration application, but can also be applied for at any time) you may receive recognition
by the SWEP as either an “Amber” prescriber, or a “Red” prescriber. You will be notified of
your rating and given feedback on why you have been rated that way.
Hurdle requirements for “Amber” are 2 years of experience OR PD in the category of
equipment. Hurdle requirements for “Red” rating are 5 years of experience AND PD in the
category of equipment.
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HOW TO GET YOUR REGISTRATION FORMS TO SWEP
Email to:
Mail to:
81911379
[email protected] (preferred method)
Wendy Hubbard
Chief Allied Health Officer
State-wide Equipment Program
PO Box 1993
Bakery Hill Vic 3354
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State-wide equipment program
Registration Request
Prescriber
Name………………………………………………………………………………………
Address for correspondence
Street name and number……………………………………………………...............
PO Box……………………………………………………………………………………..
City………………………………………………………………………………...............
State:
Victoria
Post Code.……………………
Email Address.…………………………………………………………………..............
Contact Phone
Business ( )……………………. Mobile ……………………………
Discipline (tick one)
Continence Nurse
Physiotherapist
Occupational Therapist
Orthotist/Prosthetist
Podiatrist
Speech Pathologist






(Please attach proof of qualification, proof of name change (if relevant) and any
limitations placed on practice by external bodies)
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Equipment Category Requested
Category
Place a  in category (s)
requested
Children
Adult
Beds, pressure care mattresses and bed
accessories (includes other pressure care
products)
Continence products
Electronic voice aids and voice prostheses
Environmental Control Units
Home Modifications
Orthoses and custom/extra depth shoes
Specialised bathing/toileting equipment –
(includes hydraulic change tables (SAEAS))
Specialised Seating
Transfer equipment/Hoists & Slings
Vehicle Modifications – Driver
Vehicle Modifications – Passenger
Walking aids and standing equipment
Wheelchairs, Scooters, Strollers, Seating
systems and Pressure care cushions
All other personal use items (includes safety
helmets and portable ramps)
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Higher Level Prescriber Recognition Application
If you wish to be recognised as a higher level prescriber please outline your justification
below. Please use the template on this link
(http://swep.bhs.org.au/library/file/309/Equipment_Category_Request_Higher_Level_Prescriber_Rec_Applicatio
n_From.doc ) for additional supporting information.
1. Years of experience prescribing within each category, where that was gained and the
types of clients prescribed for. Includes your current role, outline of the client/diagnostic
groups for whom you prescribe, and whether for adults or children.
Place of work
Current role
Years in
the role
2. Further education/training/mentoring you have undertaken in the type of equipment you
prescribe (including relevant formal qualifications)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Teaching, training or mentoring you provide in the area of expertise
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Your role on advisory panels pertinent to the category of equipment
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Professional Referees (please provide two)
Referee Name and Position
1
Contact Number
Name:
Position held:
2
Name:
Position held:
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Declaration
By placing your signature below, you:

Confirm that the information you have provided above is true and accurate.

Agree to be registered as a SWEP Prescriber at the level deemed by SWEP to be
appropriate to your experience and qualifications.

Agree to maintain your skills at the level described within this application, and to notify
the SWEP of any change in your capacity to prescribe.

Agree to your prescriber registration information being released to Disability Care
Australia (DCA).
Name:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Signed:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Date
………/………/…………
SWEP will get back to you to advise you of your SWEP registration number and status as
soon as possible.
At that time any further information you might need to ensure you can continue to prescribe
equipment under the SWEP program will be provided. You will also have an opportunity to
discuss your SWEP registration and any implications it may have.
If you have any questions about the process or time-lines, please contact:
Wendy A Hubbard
Executive Director, Sub-acute and Community Programs
Chief Allied Health Officer
Statewide Equipment Program
Ballarat Health Services
Phone: 03 53203802
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