2025 PBS Discount Details

The PBS Safety Net is reached when a patient or family (spouse and/or dependent children) spend the minimum dollar amount in a calendar year. The threshold in 2025 is $277.20 for Concession and Repat cardholders and $1,694.00 for General patients (non-concession cardholders).   

Concession Patients (in 2025):

• Patient co-payment of $7.70 per script
• 2025 Safety Net Threshold at $7.70 per script, $277.20/$7.70 = 36 scripts within a calendar year
• Patient co-payment with $0.80 discount = $6.90 per script
• 2025 Safety Net Threshold at $6.90 per script (discount applied), $277.20/$6.90 = 40.17 scripts (rounding to 41 scripts)
• All concessional prices have been set to $6.90 on the Pharmacy Direct website, for customers who would opt to have their item dispensed as the co-payment price, please note on order.
  

Therefore, patients who expect to reach the safety net may benefit from paying $7.70 per concessional script to reach the safety net earlier and receive more free scripts.

General Patients (in 2025):

• Patient co-payment of $31.60 per script
• Each PBS script may contribute up to $31.60 onto a Safety Net prescription record form - the recorded value for each PBS medicine must not exceed the “maximum recorded value” as stated on the PBS schedule.
• Patient co-payment with $0.10 discount = $31.50
  
• 2025 Safety Net Threshold: $1,694.00
• All general prices have been set to a maximum of $31.50 on the Pharmacy Direct website, for customers who would opt to have their item dispensed as the co-payment price, please note on order. 
• Discount does not apply to any script under the PBS co-payment where a medicine cost less than $31.60 or $31.50 (with $0.10 discount) 

Therefore, if you normally pay for 3 scripts per month at the maximum co-payment of $31.50 per script, the discount will reduce the contribution to your Safety Net prescription record form by $0.30 per month.