Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Some prescription medicines can cost a lot of money, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) can lower the cost.
To buy PBS medicines from a pharmacist, you’ll need a doctor's prescription. Your pharmacist can tell you if your medicine is cheaper under the PBS.
PBS medicine is available to:
- all Australians and concession card holders who have a current Medicare card
- visitors from overseas countries with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA)
- veterans, war widows and widowers, and dependants who are eligible under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS).
If you’re an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian, you can get more help to buy medicine if you either:
- have a chronic disease
- are at risk of one.
If so, the Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment helps you get most PBS medicines for less. If you have a Health Care Card, your medicine will be free.
Read more about the Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment on the PBS website.
Page last updated: 16 September 2019
This information was printed 5 March 2021 from https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/pharmaceutical-benefits-scheme. It may not include all of the relevant information on this topic. Please consider any relevant site notices at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/site-notices when using this material.