Keeping PBS medicines affordable with freeze on maximum patient costs
On 1 January 2025, the Australian Government introduced a freeze on the maximum patient cost for Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) medicines.
How will this benefit your patients?
This freeze means PBS medicines costs for patients will not increase with indexation in 2025. The freeze will be for 1 year for general patients, which applies to everyone with a Medicare card.
For pensioners and patients with a concession card, the cost will remain the same for 5 years.
This measure is to help ease cost of living pressures and encourage patients to not delay filling their prescriptions.
Combined with 60-day prescriptions, these changes can help your patients save money and time.
More information for prescribers
For more information, visit https://www.health.gov.au/cheaper-medicines.
Refer to the full list of medicines available for 60-day prescribing.
More information for your patients
On 29 January 2025, the Department of Health and Aged Care hosted a webinar with the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF).
The webinar informs health consumers of some ways they can save money, including explanations about:
60-day prescriptions
generic medicines
PBS safety net.
The webinar presentation and recording is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website: Making your medicines more affordable | Cheaper medicines | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.