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Participants in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schemes (PBS)

Definitions

It is important to understand who is eligible to participate in the PBS. The 5 different active participants in the PBS are:

  • Medical practitioners
  • Approved pharmacists
  • Patients
  • Pharmacies
  • Participating dental practitioners

Persons who may write PBS prescriptions

  • Medical practitioners in private practice. Medical practitioners are issued with a unique prescriber number, which entitles them to write PBS prescriptions. This number is not to be confused with the provider number, which enables the medical practitioner to claim for Medicare services that he/she may provide at the location of practice.
  • Medical practitioners in an approved public hospital may write PBS prescriptions for: 1. Eligible outpatients 2. Day admitted or non-admitted patients receiving chemotherapy, or 3. Patients on discharge from hospital. There are special restrictions and conditions that apply to these medical practitioners who may be first year residents.
  • Participating dental practitioners may write PBS prescriptions for a limited amount of medicine in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits for dental treatment only (the pink section) . The dental practitioner is issued with a dental prescriber number which is prefixed DP on the dental prescription form.

Persons who may supply PBS medicine

  • A pharmacist approved under Section 90 of the National Health Act 1953 (the community pharmacy or friendly society)
  • An approved public hospital pharmacy under Section 94 of the National Health Act 1953
  • A medical practitioner approved under Section 92 of the National Health Act 1953

NT-  Pharm: 28 / Dr: 1
QLD- Pharm: 960 / Dr: 18
NSW- Pharm: 1704 / Dr: 26
ACT – Pharm: 58 / Dr: 0
VIC – Pharm: 1166 / Dr: 3
TAS – Pharm: 132 / Dr:  5
SA – Pharm: 395 / Dr: 7
WA – Pharm: 498 / Dr: 22

Persons who may receive government subsidised PBS medicine

The PBS is available to all Australian residents with a valid Medicare Card and to eligible overseas visitors (i.e persons from countries which have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia). The patients must be present in Australia to obtain PBS medicine. It should be noted that overseas students are not covered under the RHCA arrangements and are required to take out Overseas Student Health Cover.

To access the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), or Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS), patients have to provide their Medicare numbers or Department of Veterans' Affairs file numbers. This is to ensure pharmaceutical benefits are provided only to those people eligible to receive them.

For patients eligible to receive PBS medicine who cannot provide a Medicare Card at the time of presenting the PBS prescription, refer to the Entitlement Cards and Safety Net Scheme under the "Medicare Cards" section.

Australian Residents

  • Patient must present in Australia
  • Patient must have a valid Medicare card

Overseas visitors from countries which have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia

  • United Kingdom, New Zealand, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Malta, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Norway.

Note: The PBS is not available to overseas students.