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Reforms to Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment program

Published 07 June 2021

Reforms to the Closing the Gap Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Co-payment Program (the Program) were announced on 12 June 2020, as part of the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement.

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Some of the changes being implemented from 1 July 2021 are:

  • any PBS prescriber can register eligible Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people for the Program if they are not already registered
  • PBS prescribers will no longer be legally required to write or electronically print ‘CTG’ on eligible PBS prescriptions for registered Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. However, annotation of a PBS script will help community pharmacies and Section 94 Approved Private Hospital pharmacists know that the patient is registered for the program, when dispensing the medicines
  • General Schedule PBS prescriptions issued by PBS prescribers within public hospitals will now be eligible for the Program, provided they are dispensed by a community pharmacy or Section 94 Approved Private Hospital pharmacy.

Below are a number of resources providing more detail in regards to the Program reforms. There are four separate Fact Sheets targeted at the following stakeholder groups:

A Frequently Asked Questions document covering all stakeholder groups is also available here.

Last updated: 24 February 2022