Medicines and costs: Australia.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United States · United Kingdom · Canada.

Moraph for Good · Reach

Medicines and costs: Australia

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/reach/medicines-and-costs

The same medicine can cost very different amounts depending on the version and how you pay. This sheet lists questions to ask and the official help where you live, in the box below.

Generic medicines

A generic has the same active ingredient as the brand-name medicine.
It must meet the regulator’s quality standards and usually costs less.
It may look different; ask the pharmacist if you are unsure.

Questions to ask

Is there a generic or lower-cost option that would suit me?
What will this cost before you fill it?
Is there public help or an exemption I might qualify for?

If you can’t afford it

Tell your prescriber or pharmacist before you stop or skip anything.
Check the official help listed below.
Keep receipts; some schemes count what you have already paid.

Buying safely

Only buy from a licensed pharmacy.
Avoid sellers that don’t ask for a prescription.
Only take medicines prescribed for you.

In Australia

The PBS. Under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Australian Government subsidises the cost of medicine for most medical conditions. Australian residents with a current Medicare card are eligible.
Brands and generics. Different brands of the same medicine on the PBS are clinically equivalent, meet the same quality controls and are usually cheaper than the original brand. The PBS subsidises up to the price of the lowest-priced brand, so you may pay extra, called a brand premium, for a more expensive brand.
Brand substitution. Pharmacists are allowed, in certain conditions, to substitute a different brand of the same medicine on a PBS prescription without going back to the prescriber. Ask your pharmacist whether a lower-priced brand is available.
PBS Safety Net. The PBS Safety Net helps limit out-of-pocket costs for people who need a lot of medicines. Brand premiums don’t count towards the Safety Net threshold, and under the early supply rule some repeats collected too soon don’t count either.

Official places to check:

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Australian Government): www.pbs.gov.au/about
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Australian Government): www.pbs.gov.au/general/faq
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Australian Government): www.pbs.gov.au/browse/brand-premium
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Australian Government): www.pbs.gov.au/browse/safety-net

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/reach/medicines-and-costs