PBS medicines now cheaper

The new, lower-cost PBS medicines have come into effect (from 1 January 2023).

The most patients will now pay for a PBS-listed medication is $30, down from $42.50.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s National President, Professor Trent Twomey, says this will be a big help, especially for those who have been struggling to afford their medicines. 

“In 2019-20 we learnt that 900,000 Australian patients did not get a script filled because they could not afford it,” Professor Twomey said. 

“As health professionals, this disturbed us immensely and led to our ‘Affordable Medicines Now’ campaign, which pressured both parties to commit to lowering the cost of PBS medicines in the lead-up to the last election. 

“It’s a credit to our politicians that they listened to those concerns and gave a bi-partisan commitment to lower the maximum co-payment for PBS-listed medicines after the election. 

“1 January marks a significant date as it will be the first time in the history of the PBS that the general co-payment for medicines has come down and not gone up.”  

However, Professor Twomey says the campaign to make medicines universally affordable is far from over.  

“We are now pushing to lower the maximum co-payment of PBS medicines even further, to $19.  

“Reducing the maximum co-payment to $19 will mean an additional 30% of PBS medicines are covered,” he said.