In Australia, we have many safe and effective medicines to help people manage their asthma. But in a cost-of-living crisis, medicine costs can add up quickly. That’s why the introduction of 60-day prescribing for certain asthma medicines, starting from 1 September 2024, is such a significant development. This initiative, under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), aims to make asthma management more affordable and convenient for millions of Australians.
What is 60-day prescribing?
60-day prescribing allows people to receive 60 days’ worth of their medicine on a single prescription, instead of the usual 30 days. This can help cut your medicine costs by up to a half and reduce the number of trips you need to make to the pharmacy.
It was first introduced on 1 September 2023 for other long-term health conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Asthma medicines are included for the first time as of 1 September 2024.
What does 60-day prescribing mean for people living with asthma?
If your asthma is stable and ongoing, you may be eligible to receive 60 days’ worth of your prescribed preventer at a time, for only one co-payment.
To access 60-day prescribing, you will need a new 60-day prescription from your doctor. The prescription needs to be written as a 60-day prescription with the correct PBS code or your pharmacist will be unable to give you the extra medicine.
Cheaper preventer inhalers are great news for people with asthma. Preventers are the mainstay of asthma treatment and help to minimise symptoms, prevent decline in lung function and reduce the risk of flare-ups. In turn, this can help to avoid needing rescue medicines, including reliever inhalers and oral corticosteroid tablets.
With a 60-day prescription, you could need fewer visits to your GP and to the pharmacy, saving both time and money.
What types of asthma medicines are included in 60-day prescribing?
Reliever inhalers are not included in 60-day prescribing, because they are intended for short-term symptom relief rather than ongoing management.
How can 60-day prescribing help you pay less for asthma medicines?
With 60-day prescribing, you can get 60 days’ worth of medicine for the price of one prescription on eligible medicines.
In Australia, the PBS helps reduce the cost of many essential medicines, making them more affordable. However, most people still need to pay a co-payment when they fill their prescriptions:
If you have a concession card, you’re currently paying a maximum co-payment of $7.70 per prescription.
If you don’t have a concession card, your maximum co-payment is $31.60.
Most asthma preventers are already capped at this maximum co-payment. So, with a 60-day prescription, you will get two inhalers* for your co-payment, instead of one.
A person prescribed one 60-day PBS asthma medicine for $31.60 would pay $189.60 annually instead of $379.20.
What if my medicine usually costs less than the maximum co-payment?
If your asthma medicine costs less than the maximum co-payment—say, $20 per prescription for people who don’t have a concession card—you might not get two medicines for the price of one. You will still see savings, and the cost for a 60-day supply won’t exceed $31.60, but the amount you save will vary.
Why did I pay more than the maximum co-payment?
If you choose a premium brand-name medicine when a generic version is available, your pharmacist will need to charge you more. This additional charge is called a Brand Premium. The Brand Premium varies depending on the price of the medicine, and it can push the cost above the PBS maximum co-payment of $7.70 or $31.60.
If you choose two premium brand-name inhalers under your 60-day prescription, you’ll need to pay the Brand Premium for each inhaler.
Brand Premium charges are always added on top of your co-payment, including after you reach the PBS Safety Net.
While this might increase your out-of-pocket costs, you always have the option to discuss generic alternatives with your doctor or pharmacist, which can help you avoid these extra charges.
How does 60-day prescribing affect the PBS safety net?
The PBS Safety Net is designed to provide further financial relief for people who need a lot of medicines. Once you’ve reached the Safety Net threshold—$277.20 for concession holders and $1,647.90 for others—your co-payments are reduced. After reaching the threshold, for the remainder of that calendar year concession card holders pay nothing for their PBS medicines, while others pay a reduced co-payment of $7.70.
With the 60-day prescribing initiative, some people may save so much on their medicines that they no longer reach the PBS Safety Net threshold. While you may miss out on the reduced co-payments later in the year, it means you’ve spent less overall on your medicines.
Can 60-day prescribing help people eligible for the Closing the Gap co-payment program?
The Closing the Gap (CTG) PBS co-payment program is another important initiative that helps reduce or remove the PBS co-payment for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This program applies to all PBS medicines, including those approved for 60-day prescriptions. If you’re already benefiting from the CTG program and pay a reduced price or receive your PBS medicines for free, this arrangement will stay the same, even if your doctor prescribes a 60-day supply. This means you can continue to manage your asthma without any additional costs.
Who is eligible for a 60-day prescription?
Not everyone with asthma will qualify for 60-day prescribing. To be eligible, your doctor needs to assess your asthma as‘stable.’ Your doctorwill consider factors like how often you experience symptoms, your lung function, and how well you manage your asthma each day. If your asthma is stable, your doctor may prescribe a 60-day supply of your medicine. If not, now might be the perfect time to review your asthma management with your doctor to get your symptoms under control.
How to get started with a 60-day prescription
If you think 60-day prescribing could benefit you, the first step is to talk to your doctor. They can assess whether your asthma is stable enough for eligibility. It is up to your doctor to use their clinical judgement to decide if you would benefit from 60-day prescriptions.
If your asthma is not stable, it’s a great opportunity to talk to your doctor about your current asthma management and explore ways to improve your asthma control.
We’re here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions about 60-day prescribing or want to talk about what stable asthma means for you, our Asthma Educators are available to help. You can reach us at 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462) between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
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