From 1 July, Australians with opioid dependency will have access to the medicine they need on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), with the Government paying pharmacies to provide these medications.
This means patients won’t have to pay up to $200 a month in out-of-pocket costs and will simply pay the usual PBS co-payment – up to $30 for everyone with a Medicare card or $7.30 for concession card holders.
These co-payments will contribute towards the PBS Safety Net threshold.
Amounting to a $377 million Government investment in community pharmacies, this change will provide much-needed cost-of-living relief for tens of thousands of Australians receiving treatment for opioid dependency.
The Government says transition arrangements will apply until 30 November 2023. This will ensure that private clinics, non-PBS pharmacies and other dosing sites can still provide these medicines to patients while they transition to a PBS-approved pharmacy.
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