Discount PBS prescriptions started January 1 in Australia

January 1 marked the start of landmark competition reforms in the Australian medicines sector, whereby pharmacists are able to discount the cost of a prescription subsidized through the government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the first time.

Minister for Health Sussan Ley announced that consumers could now access discounts of up to A$1 on every PBS-subsidised script they purchased throughout the year – potentially saving patients upwards of A$70 (~$51) annually.

Ms Ley said pensioners and other concession card holders would particularly benefit, given 80% of PBS scripts were concessional, and would see their co-payment potentially fall from $6.20 to $5.20. Ms Ley said she had been buoyed by the significant number and variety of pharmacy chains – not just large-scale discounters – who had already announced they would offer patients some form of discount and encouraged interested consumers to shop around for the best deal.

Other measures under agreement with Pharmacy Guild

Ms Ley said the $1 PBS script discount was one of a number of positive measures for consumers included in the five-year $18.9 billion Sixth Community Agreement, which was agreed to, and signed, between the government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. She said other positive measures in the agreement agreed to by the Pharmacy Guild, included: