About 60-day prescriptions
Many people can get twice the medication on a single prescription.
A range of medicines on the PBS are available for 60-day prescriptions. If you have a stable, ongoing medical condition, you may be eligible. This means you’ll get twice the medication on one prescription, reducing pharmacy visits and saving time and money.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) reviews the medicines available for 60-day prescriptions periodically. More medicines can become available for 60-day prescriptions following these reviews.
Eligibility for 60-day prescriptions
To qualify for a 60-day prescription, you must:
- live with a stable ongoing health condition
- have discussed your medication with your prescriber and be assessed as suitable
- have received a new 60-day prescription.
You don’t need a concession card to access a 60-day prescription.
Your prescriber will continue to decide the quantity of medicine suitable for you based on their assessment of your condition.
Medicines available for 60-day prescriptions
Medicines available for 60-day prescriptions treat a range of conditions. You can search the medicines available for 60-day prescriptions on the PBS website.
Medicine supply
60-day prescriptions don’t cause medicine shortages. You get the same amount of medicine you need each year. If you are eligible, you can get twice the medication on a single prescription, so it will last longer. Medicines recommended by PBAC for 60-day prescriptions are not in short supply in Australia. Where there is a medicine shortage, they will not be considered for 60-day prescriptions until the shortage is resolved.
Helping to ensure good medicine supply
Pharmaceutical companies must tell the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of expected medicine shortages. This means any medicine supply not likely to meet normal or expected consumer demand at any point during the next 6 months.
The Medicines Supply Security Guarantee requires Medicine manufacturers to have more stock onshore for some brands of PBS medicine, helping ensure any temporary rise in demand for those brands is met.
Wholesalers must deliver to any pharmacy in 24 hours (excluding weekends or public holidays) if they are running low on medicine. This applies for most medicines.