What the PBS is
The PBS subsidises the cost of listed medicines for Australian residents and eligible visitors from countries with reciprocal health agreements. A medicine is listed after assessment for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and many listings are restricted to particular conditions or patient groups.
- General schedule: most prescriptions written in the community and on hospital discharge.
- Restricted benefit: the medicine is only subsidised for specified indications.
- Authority required: approval is needed, either streamlined (a code written on the script) or by phone or online request to Services Australia.
- Private prescription: not subsidised, so the patient pays the full price.
What patients pay in 2026
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| General patient co-payment | A$25.00 per PBS prescription |
| Concession card holder co-payment | A$7.70 |
| Safety Net threshold, concession | A$277.20, after which concession scripts are free for the rest of the year |
| Safety Net threshold, general | A$1,748.20, after which general patients pay the concession rate |
From the PBS patient fees page, effective 1 January 2026. Amounts are indexed and change; check pbs.gov.au for current figures.
Eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients may pay less or nothing under the Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment Program. See our First Nations health guide.
Restrictions and authority prescriptions
Before prescribing a restricted medicine, check that the patient meets the listed criteria. For streamlined authority items, the prescriber writes the streamlined code from the PBS Schedule on the prescription. For other authority items, the prescriber requests approval from Services Australia, usually online.
- Prescribing outside the PBS restriction is allowed clinically, but the patient must then pay privately.
- Increased quantities or repeats may need an authority.
- 60-day dispensing allows two months' supply for many stable chronic medicines.
- Controlled drugs (Schedule 8) have extra state and territory rules, including real-time prescription monitoring.
Writing a safe prescription
| Element | What to include |
|---|---|
| Patient | Full name, address, Medicare number, concession status |
| Medicine | Active ingredient name (required for most PBS items), strength and form |
| Directions | Dose, route, frequency and duration in plain words, no unsafe abbreviations |
| Quantity and repeats | As listed, or with authority for more |
| Prescriber | Name, address, prescriber number and signature (or electronic equivalent) |
Electronic prescriptions, sent as a token to the patient's phone or via an active script list, are now common in Australia. Active ingredient prescribing helps patients understand generic brands.
References Australian prescribers use
| Reference | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Therapeutic Guidelines | First-line treatment, especially antibiotic choice, dose and duration |
| Australian Medicines Handbook | Doses, adverse effects, interactions and comparisons between drugs |
| PBS Schedule | Whether a medicine is subsidised and the restriction criteria |
| Australian Immunisation Handbook | Vaccine schedules, catch-up and contraindications |
| Australian Prescriber | Independent reviews and practical prescribing articles |
Exam explanations usually follow these sources. If your home-country first-line drug differs, learn the Australian choice and why.
High-risk medicines and monitoring
Australian hospitals and exams focus on a group of medicines where errors cause the most harm, often remembered as APINCHS.
| Group | Examples | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Antimicrobials | Gentamicin, vancomycin | Renal function and drug levels |
| Potassium and electrolytes | IV potassium chloride | Concentration, rate and serum potassium |
| Insulin | All insulins | Blood glucose, correct product and units written in full |
| Narcotics and sedatives | Opioids, benzodiazepines | Sedation, respiratory rate, bowel care, real-time prescription monitoring |
| Chemotherapy and immunosuppressants | Methotrexate | Weekly (not daily) dosing, blood counts, liver and renal function |
| Heparin and anticoagulants | Warfarin, enoxaparin, DOACs | INR or renal function, bleeding risk, interactions |
| Systems | Medication charts and handover | Reconciliation on admission and discharge |
When a question offers a high-risk medicine, look for the monitoring or dose adjustment the stem is hinting at.
Prescribing traps in exams
- Choosing a broad-spectrum antibiotic when Therapeutic Guidelines recommends a narrow first-line agent.
- Forgetting renal dose adjustment or interactions, such as with warfarin, lithium or methotrexate.
- Prescribing a teratogenic medicine without considering pregnancy.
- Ignoring cost: an expensive private script for a patient who cannot afford it.
- Not knowing which medicines need monitoring, and how often.
For how Medicare subsidises consultations and tests, see Medicare and the MBS for IMGs.
Common questions
How much is a PBS prescription in 2026?
From 1 January 2026, the maximum general patient co-payment is A$25.00 and the concession co-payment is A$7.70 per PBS prescription.
What is a streamlined authority?
A PBS authority where the prescriber writes a code from the PBS Schedule on the prescription instead of contacting Services Australia for approval.
Can I prescribe a PBS medicine outside its restriction?
Yes, if clinically appropriate, but it must be written as a private prescription and the patient pays the full cost.
What is the PBS Safety Net?
Once a patient or family reaches the annual threshold, PBS medicines become cheaper or free for the rest of the calendar year.