Safety Net early supply rule

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme - Safety Net early supply rule

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net plays an important role in keeping medicines affordable. It is an effective way of helping to limit out-of-pocket expenses for people who need a large number of medicines. The Safety Net early supply rule means that for some PBS medicines, a repeat supply of the same medication within less than a specified interval will fall outside the PBS Safety Net

Safety Net early supply rule - List of medicines

The list of medicines comprises pharmaceutical benefits to which the Safety Net early supply rule applies if:

  • supplied within 20 days of a previous supply of a prescription, usually for a month’s supply, of the same medicine or any brand of an equivalent medicine to the same person under ‘immediate supply’ provisions
  • supplied within 50 days of a previous supply of a prescription with a 60-day maximum dispensed quantity (60-day prescription) of the same medicine or any brand of an equivalent medicine to the same person under ‘immediate supply’ provisions.

The legal basis for the list of medicines is the National Health (Pharmaceutical benefits – early supply) Instrument 2015 made under subsection 84AAA(2) of the National Health Act 1953.

The purpose of the list below is to provide an easy-to-use compilation of the PBS medicines to which the Safety Net early supply rule applies, including the currently-listed brands of those medicines. This version of the list is not a legal document and, in cases of discrepancy, the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits - early supply) Instrument will be the source document for specifying which medicines are subject to Safety Net early supply arrangements.

Drug – active ingredient name Drug form and strength Brand name(s) Listed maximum quantity Listed maximum repeats Interval Days
VALACICLOVIR valaciclovir 500 mg tablet, 30 APX-Valaciclovir, Shilova 500, VALACICLOVIR-WGR, Vaclovir, Valaciclovir APOTEX, Valaciclovir RBX, Valaciclovir SZ, Valaciclovir Sandoz, Valtrex, Zelitrex 30 5 20
VALPROATE valproate sodium 100 mg tablet, 100 Epilim 400 2 50
valproate sodium 200 mg enteric tablet, 100 APO-Sodium Valproate, Epilim EC, Sodium Valproate Sandoz, Valprease 200, Valpro EC 200, Valproate Winthrop EC 200 200 2 20
valproate sodium 200 mg enteric tablet, 100 APO-Sodium Valproate, Epilim EC, Sodium Valproate Sandoz, Valprease 200, Valpro EC 200, Valproate Winthrop EC 200 400 2 50
valproate sodium 500 mg enteric tablet, 100 APO-Sodium Valproate, Epilim EC, Sodium Valproate Sandoz, Valprease 500, Valpro EC 500, Valproate Winthrop EC 500 200 2 20
valproate sodium 500 mg enteric tablet, 100 APO-Sodium Valproate, Epilim EC, Sodium Valproate Sandoz, Valprease 500, Valpro EC 500, Valproate Winthrop EC 500 400 2 50
valproate sodium 200 mg/5 mL oral liquid, 300 mL Epilim Liquid, Epilim Syrup 4 2 50
VALSARTAN valsartan 160 mg tablet, 28 Dilart, Diovan 28 5 20
valsartan 160 mg tablet, 28 Dilart, Diovan 56 5 50
valsartan 320 mg tablet, 28 Dilart, Diovan 28 5 20
valsartan 320 mg tablet, 28 Dilart, Diovan 56 5 50
valsartan 80 mg tablet, 28 Dilart, Diovan 28 5 20
valsartan 80 mg tablet, 28 Dilart, Diovan 56 5 50
VALSARTAN + HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE valsartan 160 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 160/12.5, Dilart HCT 160/12.5 28 5 20
valsartan 160 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 160/12.5, Dilart HCT 160/12.5 56 5 50
valsartan 160 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 160/25, Dilart HCT 160/25 28 5 20
valsartan 160 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 160/25, Dilart HCT 160/25 56 5 50
valsartan 320 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 320/12.5, Dilart HCT 320/12.5 28 5 20
valsartan 320 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 320/12.5, Dilart HCT 320/12.5 56 5 50
valsartan 320 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 320/25, Dilart HCT 320/25 28 5 20
valsartan 320 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 320/25, Dilart HCT 320/25 56 5 50
valsartan 80 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 80/12.5, Dilart HCT 80/12.5 28 5 20
valsartan 80 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg tablet, 28 Co-Diovan 80/12.5, Dilart HCT 80/12.5 56 5 50
VARENICLINE varenicline 500 microgram tablet [11] (&) varenicline 1 mg tablet [42], 53 Champix, PHARMACOR VARENICLINE, VARENAPIX, Varenicline Viatris 1 0 20
varenicline 1 mg tablet, 56 Champix, PHARMACOR VARENICLINE, VARENAPIX, Varenicline Viatris 56 2 20
varenicline 1 mg tablet, 56 Champix, PHARMACOR VARENICLINE, VARENAPIX, Varenicline Viatris 112 0 20
VEDOLIZUMAB vedolizumab 108 mg/0.68 mL injection, 2 x 0.68 mL pen devices Entyvio 2 0 20
vedolizumab 108 mg/0.68 mL injection, 2 x 0.68 mL pen devices Entyvio 2 5 20
VENETOCLAX venetoclax 100 mg tablet, 120 Venclexta 120 2 20
venetoclax 100 mg tablet, 120 Venclexta 120 4 20
venetoclax 100 mg tablet, 120 Venclexta 120 5 20
VENLAFAXINE venlafaxine 150 mg modified release capsule, 28 APO-Venlafaxine XR, Efexor-XR, Elaxine SR 150, Enlafax-XR, Sandoz Venlafaxine XR, VENLAFAXINE XR-WGR, Venlafaxine generichealth XR 28 5 20
venlafaxine 150 mg modified release capsule, 28 APO-Venlafaxine XR, Efexor-XR, Elaxine SR 150, Enlafax-XR, Sandoz Venlafaxine XR, VENLAFAXINE XR-WGR, Venlafaxine generichealth XR 56 2 50
venlafaxine 75 mg modified release capsule, 28 APO-Venlafaxine XR, Efexor-XR, Elaxine SR 75, Enlafax-XR, Sandoz Venlafaxine XR, VENLAFAXINE XR-WGR, Venlafaxine generichealth XR 28 5 20
venlafaxine 75 mg modified release capsule, 28 APO-Venlafaxine XR, Efexor-XR, Elaxine SR 75, Enlafax-XR, Sandoz Venlafaxine XR, VENLAFAXINE XR-WGR, Venlafaxine generichealth XR 56 2 50
VERAPAMIL verapamil hydrochloride 180 mg modified release tablet, 30 Cordilox 180 SR, Isoptin 180 SR 30 5 20
verapamil hydrochloride 180 mg modified release tablet, 30 Cordilox 180 SR, Isoptin 180 SR 60 5 50
verapamil hydrochloride 240 mg modified release tablet, 30 Cordilox SR, Isoptin SR 30 5 20
verapamil hydrochloride 240 mg modified release tablet, 30 Cordilox SR, Isoptin SR 60 5 50
verapamil hydrochloride 80 mg tablet, 100 Anpec 80, Isoptin 100 5 20
verapamil hydrochloride 80 mg tablet, 100 Anpec 80, Isoptin 200 5 50
VIGABATRIN vigabatrin 500 mg powder for oral liquid, 60 sachets Sabril 60 5 20
vigabatrin 500 mg powder for oral liquid, 60 sachets Sabril 120 5 50
vigabatrin 500 mg tablet, 100 Sabril 100 5 20
vigabatrin 500 mg tablet, 100 Sabril 200 5 50
VILDAGLIPTIN vildagliptin 50 mg tablet, 60 Galvus 60 5 20
vildagliptin 50 mg tablet, 60 Galvus 120 5 50
VILDAGLIPTIN + METFORMIN vildagliptin 50 mg + metformin hydrochloride 1 g tablet, 60 Galvumet 50/1000 60 5 20
vildagliptin 50 mg + metformin hydrochloride 1 g tablet, 60 Galvumet 50/1000 120 5 50
vildagliptin 50 mg + metformin hydrochloride 500 mg tablet, 60 Galvumet 50/500 60 5 20
vildagliptin 50 mg + metformin hydrochloride 500 mg tablet, 60 Galvumet 50/500 120 5 50
vildagliptin 50 mg + metformin hydrochloride 850 mg tablet, 60 Galvumet 50/850 60 5 20
vildagliptin 50 mg + metformin hydrochloride 850 mg tablet, 60 Galvumet 50/850 120 5 50
VISMODEGIB vismodegib 150 mg capsule, 28 Erivedge 28 3 20
VOSORITIDE vosoritide 400 microgram injection [10 vials] (&) inert substance diluent [10 x 0.5 mL syringes], 1 pack Voxzogo 30 5 20
vosoritide 560 microgram injection [10 vials] (&) inert substance diluent [10 x 0.7 mL syringes], 1 pack Voxzogo 30 5 20
vosoritide 1.2 mg injection [10 vials] (&) inert substance diluent [10 x 0.6 mL syringes], 1 pack Voxzogo 30 5 20