Online Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits

1 December 2006

The Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits is now online at www.pbs.gov.au from 1 December 2006. This website is an electronic version of the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, a listing of the medicines subsidised by the Australian Government. The Schedule is part of the wider Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme administered by the Department of Health and Ageing and Medicare Australia. The schedule explains how medicines can be used in order to be subsided.

The Schedule provides important information including a summary of changes to listed items, which medicines are included or excluded from benefit, whether restrictions apply to medicines and how much patients should pay including price premiums for particular brands where applicable.

From 1 December 2006, the schedule is updated monthly to include new listings and the latest changes (effective first day of each month).