The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidises listed medicines so patients pay a capped co-payment per script. Concession card holders pay much less, and a yearly safety net reduces costs further for heavy users.
Medicines can be listed as:
- Unrestricted: any indication.
- Restricted benefit: subsidised only for specified indications.
- Authority required: the prescriber must get approval, either by writing a streamlined authority code on the script or by requesting approval online or by phone (for expensive drugs like biologics).
If a patient does not meet the criteria, you can still prescribe the drug as a private script, but they pay the full price. Writing a PBS script for a non-PBS indication is not allowed.
Prescriptions can be paper or electronic (a token sent by SMS or email). Scripts specify quantity and number of repeats.
The PBS Schedule (pbs.gov.au) tells you exactly what is listed and under what conditions. Check it before prescribing an unfamiliar drug.