Dispense Private Repeats From an Unapproved (Non-PBS) Pharmacy

Unapproved pharmacies may dispense medicines listed on the PBS and RPBS, but only as non-PBS (private) supplies. These prescriptions do not attract a Commonwealth subsidy, ie they cannot be claimed under the PBS.

If your customer has a prescription that is eligible to be supplied on the PBS/RPBS, but chooses to have their prescription supplied at an unapproved pharmacy, the supply is considered to be outside the PBS/RPBS and the following consequences apply:

• The payment made for that medicine will not count towards your customer’s PBS Safety Net Threshold.
• Your customer cannot elect to “switch” any subsequent repeats on that prescription to be supplied under the PBS/RPBS. Once an unapproved pharmacy is used to dispense a valid PBS/RPBS prescription, that supply, and all subsequent repeats, must be supplied as non-PBS (private) supplies.
• Your customer will not be able to obtain a refund from DHS-Medicare for any amount paid over and above the PBS copayment for a medicine.

If your customer wants the remaining repeats on the prescription that was previously dispensed by an unapproved pharmacy to be dispensed under the PBS/RPBS, your customer will need to go back to their prescriber and ask for a new prescription. The new prescription will then need to be taken to an approved pharmacy for dispensing under the PBS/RPBS.