The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is an Australian Government initiative that provides affordable access for all Australian residents to medicines. Depending on your eligibility for entitlement you may receive different subsidy level from the Australian Government for your medications. There are four pricing categories for medicines. They are PBS, Private, Concession and Safety Net.
PBS (GENERAL PATIENTS)
General Patients are those who do not have a concession card. This price may include a subsidy by the PBS - depending on the cost of the medication. Furthermore, depending on the medication the patient may need to have a Medicare card.
PRIVATE (NON PBS PRESCRIPTION)
Your doctor might prescribe a medicine that isn't listed on the PBS or isn't available on the PBS for your condition––sometimes called a 'private prescription'. Your doctor will indicate this on your prescription and you will need to pay the full price for the medicine. The cost of non PBS prescriptions does not count towards your Safety Net threshold.
CONCESSION:
To be eligible for concession pricing you will need to have one of the following concession cards:
Pensioner Concession Card;
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card;
Health Care Card;
DVA White, Gold, or Orange Card – also known as ‘Repat’ card
Blue Safety Net Concession card (Learn more about the PBS Safety Net)
The cost of prescription items on a concession card is usually $5.40. However, if you choose a more expensive brand of medicine, or if your doctor prescribes one, you may need to pay more. You may avoid paying any extra costs by selecting the generic brand. (Learn more about generic brands & Government surcharges)
