PBS Safety Net thresholds
The PBS Safety Net thresholds are the thresholds your customers need to reach before accessing PBS medicines even cheaper. They’re updated on 1 January.
The current thresholds for 2021 are:
- $316.80 for concession card holders
- $1,497.20 for general customers.
The table below shows how much customers have to pay before and after they reach the threshold.
| Rates for 2021 | General customer | Commonwealth concessional entitlement card holder |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution before reaching the applicable PBS Safety Net threshold | Up to $41.30 | Up to $6.60 |
| PBS Safety Net Threshold | $1,497.20 | $316.80 |
| PBS Safety Net prescription contribution | $6.60 | $0 |
If your customer chooses a more expensive brand of medicine, they may need to pay more. The extra amount won't count towards their PBS Safety Net threshold.
Your customers can keep a record of their PBS medicines and medicines dispensed at outpatient pharmacies in public hospitals using a prescription record form. There are 2 types of prescription record forms:
- computer record - generated by dispensing software
- PBS/RPBS Safety Net prescription record form and application for a Safety Net card form.
Read more about PBS Safety Net stationery and forms.
The PBS Safety Net rate
You need to charge the first PBS medicine that puts your customer over the threshold at the reduced rate.
Example
A customer who is a general patient, gives you a prescription to fill. The medicine will cost $15.50. Their prescription record form is $10 under the general threshold amount. The cost of the medicine you supply puts them over the threshold. You issue them with a PBS Safety Net concession card and charge them the PBS Safety Net concession rate.
Page last updated: 1 January 2021
This information was printed 15 April 2021 from https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/organisations/health-professionals/services/medicare/pbs-safety-net-pharmacists/about-eligible-customers/pbs-safety-net-thresholds. 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.