PBS Safety Net thresholds

The current thresholds for 2020 are:

• $316.80 for concession card holders
• $1,486.80 for general customers.

The table below shows how much customers have to pay before and after they reach the threshold.

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.