Changes to PBS prescription costs
From 1 January 2026, the PBS general patient co-payment for prescription medicines will reduce from $31.60 to $25 for Medicare card holders. The concessional co-payment will remain at $7.70 until 2030. These changes help keep the cost of PBS prescription medicines down and support patients to prioritise their health.
From 1 January 2026, the optional $1 discount applied by some pharmacies will be removed for general patients. For concession card holders, the discount will continue to reduce by indexation each year until it reaches zero in 2030.
The PBS Safety Net continues to provide additional support for those with high prescription medicine costs.
Pharmacists play a key role in informing customers about changes to their prescription costs and supporting them to access affordable medicines.
We have a range of resources available to pharmacists to help you and your customers understand changes to PBS prescription costs.
Reinvestments into pharmacy services
The Australian Government supports a thriving community pharmacy sector and provides financial support to community pharmacies, recognising their role providing essential medicines and health services to Australians.
Savings from 60-day prescriptions enable a reinvestment into other pharmacy services.
Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA)
From 1 July 2023, the Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA) budget doubled to $39.8 million per year. This represents $79.5 million over 4 years to make sure Australians in regional, rural, and remote locations have continued access to pharmacies and pharmacy services.
Through the Eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement, a further $52 million over 5 years has been provided to the total budget for the Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA).
Read more about the Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance.
Additional Community Supply Support (ACSS) payment
The Additional Community Supply Support (ACSS) payment helps pharmacists provide services and cheaper medicines (through 60-day prescriptions) for their patients without increasing patient fees. ACSS payments began in October 2024. Services Australia manage this process alongside regular PBS payments.
Read more about the ACSS on the PBS website under the New Payments under the Eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement factsheet.
National Immunisation Program (NIP)
Pharmacists are funded by the government to provide NIP vaccines to eligible patients at no cost. The government provided an extra $114.1 million over 4 years from 1 January 2024 for pharmacists to administer NIP vaccines to people aged 5 or older. The NIP vaccines that pharmacists can administer in pharmacies will differ across the country, in line with state and territory legislation.
This initiative replaced vaccination services where patients needed to pay.
Opioid Dependence Treatment (ODT) Community Pharmacy Program
Pharmacists can deliver Opioid Dependence Treatment medicine through a staged supply program. The program provides more than 50,000 Australians access to treatment from their local pharmacy at an investment of $377.3 million over 4 years from 1 July 2023.
Read more about the Opioid Dependence Treatment Program on the PBS website.