About the PBS
The Real Cost of Medicines
This section of the website contains information on how much medicines really cost and gives examples of the amount the Government subsidises some medicines.
Many PBS medicines cost the Australian Government much more than the price you pay – some cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars, but the government provides a subsidy so that you pay much less.
Common medicines and the amount by which the government subsidises each prescription is listed in the table below:
Condition/Medicine (chemical name) | Actual Cost of Medicine* (dispensed price for maximum qty $ | General Patients* | General Patients after reaching PBS Safety Net/Concessional Patients* (Concession Card) | Concessional Patients after reaching Safety Net | |||
 | | Cost to patient | Gov’t Subsidy | Cost to patient | Gov’t Subsidy | Cost to patient | Gov’t Subsidy |
| Reflux PANTOPRAZOLE 40mg | $38.04 | $31.30 | $6.74 | $5.00 | $32.27 | Nil | $38.04 |
| High cholesterol ATORVASTATIN CALCIUM 40mg | $78.07 | $31.30 | $46.77 | $5.00 | $75.03 | Nil | $78.07 |
| Alzheimer’s disease DONEPEZIL HYDROCHLORIDE hydrochloride | $154.47 | $31.30 | $123.17 | $5.00 | $149.18 | Nil | $154.47 |
| Schizophrenia RISPERIDONE 3mg | $204.40 | $31.30 | $173.10 | $5.00 | $199.40 | Nil | $204.40 |
| Prostate cancer GOSERELIN ACETATE 10.8 mg | $1,105.38 | $31.30 | $1,074.08 | $5.00 | $1,100.09 | Nil | $1,105.38 |
| Multiple sclerosis INTERFERON BETA-1b | $1,174.04 | $31.30 | $1,142.74 | $5.00 | $1,169.07 | Nil | $1,174.04 |
| Breast & ovarian cancer PACLITAXEL 300mg | $1,891.79 | $31.30 | $1,860.49 | $5.00 | $1,886.79 | Nil | $1,891.79 |
| Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia IMATINIB MESYLATE 400mg | $3,887.71 | $31.30 | $3,856.41 | $5.00 | $3,882.71 | Nil | $3,887.71 |
*Please note that some medicines on the PBS are only subsidised for certain conditions.
Amounts current as of 1 January 2008.
A list of all medicines available on the PBS can be found in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule.Labels showing the real cost of medicines were introduced in Australia from August 1, 2003. The labels allow you to see what the PBS medicines really cost.