Prescription medicines and the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS)
Prescription medicine refers to medicines that can only be bought with a prescription from a health care professional.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is an Australian Government program that covers part of the cost of medicines to make them more affordable.
View the current list of PBS medicines.
PBS Safety Net
The PBS Safety Net helps lower the cost of prescribed medicines. If you or your family spend a set amount in a calendar year (1 January - 31 December) you can get cheaper or free medicines for the rest of the year by applying for the PBS Safety Net card. Talk to your pharmacist about how to apply for the card.
Reaching the PBS Safety Net set amount
To know if you have reached the PBS Safety Net threshold amount:
- always show your Medicare card and concession card (if you have one) at the pharmacy
- try to use the same pharmacy for all your prescriptions. Ask them to record your spending so they can tell you when you are close to the Safety Net amount
- if you use different pharmacies, ask for a printout of what you have spent on PBS medications
- give the Safety Net prescription record and application for a Safety Net card form to your pharmacist to keep a record of how much you have spent on PBS medications.
Find out more
Find out more about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net .