PBS medicines to cost Aussies more from today; Safety Net thresholds also increase

Sick Australians who need PBS prescription medicines will be coughing up more from today. See how much more general patients and pensioners will pay.

The price of a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription will rise today to $31.60 for most Australians and to $7.70 for concessional patients.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Aged Care said the rise was in line with the

Consumer Price Index and represents a rise of $1.60 for general patients and 40 cents for those patients holding a concession card.

The Safety Net threshold will also increase for – by $14.40 for concessional patients (from $262.80 to $277.20) and by $84.40 for general patients (from $1,563.50 to $1,647.90).

The spokesman said the rise was an annual requirement of the National Health Act 1953.

“For the first time in 75 years, the maximum cost of PBS general scripts fell 29% in January 2023, from $42.50 to $30.00,” he said.

“Up to 30 November 2023, over 19 million prescriptions resulted in a patient saving due to the reduced general co-payment, with the total national patient savings estimated at over $220 million.”

New laws that effect Australians from January 1, 2024

The PBS Safety Net arrangements supported those who need to spend a significant amount on

medicines each calendar year, the spokesman said.

“From July 2022, the PBS Safety Net thresholds were lowered by the equivalent of 12 fully priced scripts for concession card holders and the equivalent of approximately two fully priced scripts for general patients,” he said.

“In 2024, although the co-payments and Safety Net thresholds will slightly increase, patients are still paying less overall for medicines than in earlier years, due to the previous reductions to general patient co-payment and Safety Net threshold reductions.”

The cost of PBS scripts will go up from today.

A new discretionary discount also came into effect from January 2023 allowing pharmacies to have the option to offer an increased discount on a range of PBS medicines, specifically those that cost more between $30.00 and $42.50.

From 1 January 2024, the increased discount range has been indexed to be between $31.60 and $48.10.

Additionally, since January 2016, pharmacists have had the option to discount the PBS co-payment by up to $1.00. This would reduce concessional prescriptions to $6.70 and general patient prescriptions to $30.60 in 2024, he said.

Another significant change to PBS prescription medicines in 2024 will be a staged increase in the number of medicines available for 60-day dispensing.

Under this scheme – which has attracted opposition from Australia’s peak pharmacy bodies –

patients can receive twice the medication for the cost of a single prescription.

More medications will be added to the 60-day dispensing scheme in 2024.

The first stage of the scheme was launched in 2023, which saw 92 medicines added to the list. These medicines support patients who are stable on their current medications and have ongoing health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Crohn’s disease, gout, heart failure, high cholesterol, hypertension, osteoporosis, and ulcerative colitis.

“These changes are happening in three stages over 12 months and will be complete by 1 September 2024,” said the department’s spokesman.

“Stage two will be implemented on 1 March 2024. The department is finalising the medicines for stage two and three.”

By September 2024 more than 300 PBS medicines will be on the list.