From 2026 the standard PBS co‑payment for Medicare cardholders is $25 a medicine, down from $31.60. Concession cardholders keep $7.70 per medicine, frozen through 2030. Remember these figures: from 2026 general patients pay $25 per PBS medicine, concession cardholders pay $7.70, that's $6.60 less than before, and the PBS covers more than 900 medicines.

Key figures at a glance

Quick reference: the costs you should know before you pick up a prescription.

  • General patient co‑payment: $25 per PBS medicine (2026).
  • Previous general co‑payment: $31.60 (pre‑2026) — a $6.60 drop per medicine.
  • Concessional patient co‑payment: $7.70 per PBS medicine (frozen until 2030).
  • PBS lists more than 900 subsidised medicines (2026).
  • Some prescriptions allow up to 60 days' supply (two months).
  • Estimated annual saving if you fill two PBS medicines monthly: $158.40.
  • Estimated annual saving if you fill three PBS medicines monthly: $237.60.
  • The government pays the difference when the full price of a PBS medicine exceeds the co‑payment — e.g. If a drug costs $60, and you pay $25, government covers $35.
  • Concessional co‑payment frozen through to 2030 (a four‑year freeze from 2026).
  • Two‑month prescriptions reduce visits — one script can cover 60 days for eligible people.
  • Example: one medicine, monthly, old annual cost $31.60 x 12 = $379.20; new annual cost $25 x 12 = $300.00 — saving $79.20 per year.
  • Example: two medicines, monthly, old annual cost $31.60 x 24 = $758.40; new cost $25 x 24 = $600.00 — saving $158.40 per year.
  • Example: three medicines, monthly, old annual cost $31.60 x 36 = $1,137.60; new cost $25 x 36 = $900.00 — saving $237.60 per year.
  • Example: if a listed medicine costs $120, patient pays $25 and government covers $95; if a medicine costs $450, patient pays $25 and government covers $425.

What the 2026 change means

From 2026 the standard PBS patient co‑payment for people with a Medicare card is $25 a medicine, down from $31.60. That cut of $6.60 per medicine is immediate cash in your pocket at the pharmacy. For people on concession cards the co‑payment stays at $7.70 and that amount is frozen until 2030.

So, if you commonly pick up two subsidised medicines a month, the maths is simple: saving $6.60 times 24 scripts equals about $158.40 a year. For three medicines a month the annual saving is around $237.60. For a single medicine taken monthly the saving is $79.20 a year — $6.60 times 12 scripts.

Put together, those savings add up for people taking multiple medicines. If someone fills four medicines monthly their new annual cost is $1,200 ($25 x 48 scripts) compared with $1,516.80 previously ($31.60 x 48), a saving of $316.80 a year. For six medicines monthly the annual saving is $475.20: new cost $1,800 versus old cost $2,275.20.

How PBS pricing works — step by step

  1. Doctor writes a PBS‑listed prescription and specifies repeats or any authority (special) requirements.
  2. At the pharmacy you present your Medicare card (and concession card if relevant).
  3. You pay the patient co‑payment per medicine at the counter: $25 for general patients or $7.70 for concession cardholders (2026).
  4. If the medicine’s full listed price is higher than the co‑payment, the government pays the difference to the supplier. Example: listed price $60 — you pay $25, government pays $35.
  5. Some prescriptions include repeats — each supply usually attracts its own co‑payment when collected, unless you move into a Safety Net threshold.
  6. If your doctor approves a 60‑day supply, you can pick up two months at once and usually pay the co‑payment just once instead of twice.

Who benefits most — real examples with numbers

People on multiple medicines will see the biggest absolute savings. Chronic disease patients on three medicines daily save about $237.60 a year if those medicines are all PBS‑listed and picked up monthly.

Someone on two medicines who gets two‑month supplies instead of monthly halves the number of scripts: 12 co‑payments a year instead of 24 — effectively saving $79.20 a year on top of the $158.40 shown for monthly picks.

Mastheads

Concession cardholders keep paying $7.70 per medicine. That equals $92.40 per year for one monthly medicine ($7.70 x 12). For two medicines monthly a concession holder pays $184.80 a year ($7.70 x 24).

Two‑month scripts, repeats and visits

Allowing up to 60 days' supply for suitable medicines cuts the number of pharmacy visits. For example, if a general patient on two medicines switches to 60‑day supplies they move from 24 co‑payments a year to 12. That halves out‑of‑pocket patient co‑payments and halves any travel or delivery costs tied to the visit.

Repeats still matter. If a script has repeats attached you don’t need a new doctor visit for each supply, but each supply usually draws a co‑payment. The two‑month supply option reduces those co‑payments when it’s clinically appropriate and permitted by the prescriber and PBS rules.

Regional differences — what changes and what doesn't

PBS co‑payments are set nationally, so the $25 and $7.70 rates apply across Australia in 2026. Pharmacies set dispensing fees and may charge extra for services like home delivery, blister packing or late‑night dispensing — those charges are separate from the PBS co‑payment and can vary.

Remote and very remote communities may access additional supports — for example, outreach pharmacy programs or Indigenous health services — but the PBS co‑payment rules remain the same. Delivery or access charges will push up the total you pay — for example, a $10–$20 delivery fee would come on top of the PBS co‑payment.

Forecast — what to expect through 2026–2030

The $25 general co‑payment in 2026 lowers out‑of‑pocket costs immediately.

The concession co‑payment is frozen at $7.70 through 2030, guaranteeing concession cardholders that rate for four years. If someone on two medicines monthly keeps that pattern for four years they'll save $158.40 each year — $633.60 over four years.

Sure, beyond 2030 the concessional rate may be reviewed. Government indexing and budget decisions typically determine future changes, so expect periodic reviews or indexation announcements ahead of each calendar year. For now, 2026 gives a clear, measurable cut for general patients and a stable concession rate through to 2030.

Practical tips and quick sums

Want a quick calculation? Multiply $6.60 by the number of PBS supplies you normally pick up each year to see your personal saving. Example: 18 supplies a year (one and a half meds monthly on average) = $118.80 saved ($6.60 x 18).

Look for two‑month supplies where clinically suitable. If you normally make 12 pharmacy visits a year for scripts, switching eligible medicines to 60‑day supplies can cut that to 6 visits and halve co‑payments on those medicines.

Related Articles

The 2026 cut to the standard PBS co‑payment — down to $25 a medicine — delivers immediate, predictable savings: $6.60 less per script for general patients, $79.20 saved per year on a single monthly medicine, $158.40 saved on two medicines monthly, and a concession rate of $7.70 frozen to 2030.

This article was created with AI assistance.