How does the new 60-day prescription scheme affect me?

Key points

• More medications have recently been added to the 60-day prescription list in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 
• Some of the medications now included help with conditions such as diabetes and incontinence
• In September 2024, the final stage of 60-day prescriptions will be rolled out by the government

With the government having actioned the second stage of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme update recently, doctors can now prescribe more types of medications on 60-day prescriptions.

The Department of Health and Aged Care has released a comprehensive list of the almost 200 PBS-listed medications currently available for 60-day prescriptions. Now included in the list are medications to help with conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, incontinence, migraines and menopause.

For many Australians, some of the benefits of the 60-day prescription PBS update include

• fewer doctor visits required to pick up prescriptions;
• reduced travelling to pick up medications;
• cheaper medications.

The government has also released a short video to explain the changes and what a 60-day prescription could mean for you. Additionally, the government also released a personal story of one person whose life was positively impacted by this update to the PBS.

For many Australians, with a Medicare card and a concession card, you will receive 60 days’ medication for the cost of 30 days, as you will only pay a single $7.70 co-payment.

If you have a Medicare card but not a concession card, more information about costs can be found in the document released by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

If you received a prescription from your doctor before the roll-out, the prescription will only be valid for regular dispensing, with 30 days of medication being dispensed for each repeat on your prescription. Your doctor will need to write a new prescription for a 60-day supply.

If your medication is available on the list, your doctor will decide if a 60-day prescription is appropriate for your health condition. Your doctor will need to write a specific 60-day prescription depending on the criteria and guidelines established for doctors.

Even if you are not eligible to get your medications on a 60-day prescription, this roll-out is set to free up millions of appointments with general practitioners, meaning that getting an appointment to look after your health will become easier. 

With a 60-day supply, safely monitoring your medication use is also something to consider, as taking your medicine incorrectly can be dangerous. Due to mistakes or other problems caused by taking the medication incorrectly, almost 250,000 Australians are hospitalised each year. 

Different options are available to organise through your pharmacy such as pharmacist-packed disposable blister packs, sachets and seven-day pill dispensers. 

Additionally, knowing the difference between original and generic medications can help you to save money. Original brands are generally the first of their kind in the market, with other companies offering generic versions of the original brand. 

Generic brands have been created to have the same effects as the originals, but may be significantly cheaper. All medications are monitored by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to ensure that Australians are using safe medical products and medications. 

However, there are differences between the original and generic versions in some cases. One example is gluten being included in the production of one and not others. Visit your local pharmacist to discuss whether original or generic brands are right for you. 

More medications will be added to the 60-day prescription list for the third and final stage in September 2024. At this final stage, there will be around 300 PBS medications available on the 60-day prescription scheme.

What are your thoughts about the 60-day prescription scheme?

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