the cost of a script

The GP writes the script. You say thank you. Then you get to the pharmacy counter, hear the price, and quietly decide you will “pick it up next week”.

Next week becomes next month. The cough lingers. The skin flares again. The tablets you were meant to take every day become tablets you take when you can afford them.

This week is Anti-Poverty Week (11 to 17 October 2026), so we want to talk about something that rarely gets said out loud: money is a health issue. Not in an abstract, policy-paper way. In a “should I fill this script or buy lunch” way.

the quiet maths at the counter

Skipping medicine because of cost is not rare and it is not a personal failing. In the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest Patient Experiences survey (2024–25), 7.5% of people who were prescribed medication delayed getting it or went without because of the cost. For people aged 25 to 34 it was 11.5%, compared with 1.3% of people aged 85 and over. Younger adults are feeling it most.

And it is not only medicine. In the same survey, 7.7% of people who needed a GP delayed or skipped the visit because of cost.

Anti-Poverty Week estimates that nearly 774,000 children in Australia, about 1 in 6, live below the poverty line. Behind that number are young people who notice everything: the script that stays in the drawer, the appointment that gets “rescheduled”, the period products rationed until the end of the pay cycle.

If that is your house, you are not the only one. And there are more options than most people are ever told about.

Being careful with money should never mean being careless with your health. You deserve to know every cheaper door before you walk away from the counter.

what a PBS script actually costs now

Most prescription medicines in Australia are subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The government pays most of the cost and you pay a capped amount called a co-payment.

Since 1 January 2026, the most a general patient with a Medicare card pays for most PBS medicines is $25 per script, down from $31.60. If you (or the parent or carer whose card you are on) have a concession card, such as a Health Care Card, it is $7.70.

A few things worth knowing:

• Bring your Medicare card details. Pharmacies need them to charge you the PBS price. If you are 15 or older you can have your own card.
• Brand premiums are extra. Some brands cost more than the co-payment. Ask: “Is there a generic or another brand without the premium?” Same active ingredient, often a lower price.
• Cheap medicines vary. Medicines that cost less than $25 are not discounted further, and their prices can differ between pharmacies. It is fine to ask or shop around.
• The Safety Net is real. If your family spends a lot on PBS medicines in a calendar year, you can reach the PBS Safety Net and pay less (or nothing) for the rest of the year. Ask your pharmacist to keep a record for your family.

the GP visit itself

Since 1 November 2025, GPs can claim bulk billing incentives for every Medicare-eligible patient, not only under-16s and concession card holders. The aim is for more practices to bulk bill everyone, which means you pay nothing for an eligible visit.

The trick is checking before you book. The Department of Health has a bulk billing practice finder at health.gov.au/bulk-billing, and the healthdirect Service Finder lists clinics near you. When you call, ask: “Do you bulk bill for someone my age?” It is a normal question. Receptionists get it all day.

the costs nobody puts on a script

Health costs are not only medicines and appointments. They are bus fares to the clinic, pads and tampons, a gap fee for a scan, the counsellor you were referred to but cannot afford.

Some of those have free or low-cost options too:

• Period products: every Victorian government school has had free pads and tampons since the program rolled out from 2019. If you cannot find them, ask the school nurse or wellbeing team.
• Mental health: headspace centres support 12 to 25 year olds at no or low cost. Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) and Lifeline (13 11 14) are free, any time.
• Concession cards: if your family is on a low income, it may be worth checking eligibility for a Low Income Health Care Card through Services Australia. It can bring PBS medicines down to $7.70.

why we don’t ask

Here is the part we really want to name. Most people do not skip their medicine because they missed a fact sheet. They skip it because saying “I can’t afford this” out loud feels humiliating.

So we nod at the GP. We say “yep, I’ll get it filled”. We never mention the price, which means the person who could have found a cheaper option never gets the chance.

That silence is the bit we can change. Doctors and pharmacists cannot tailor care to a budget they do not know about. Saying “Is there a cheaper way to do this?” is not embarrassing. It is health literacy. It is the same skill as asking what a word means or asking for a second opinion.

what you can do

• Say the money part out loud. Try: “Cost is a bit tight for us. Is there a cheaper option, a generic, or a bigger supply so we pay less often?”
• Ask before you book. “Do you bulk bill?” saves you from a surprise bill at the desk.
• Ask the pharmacist, not just the GP. Pharmacists know prices, generics and the Safety Net. That advice is free and you do not need an appointment.
• Don’t stop a medicine on your own. If you cannot afford it, tell your GP or pharmacist first so they can help you find another way.
• Look out for your friends. If a mate says they are “waiting until payday” to get something checked, you can share this post or come with them to ask.
• If it is urgent, cost should not stop you. In an emergency, call 000.

Poverty is not a character flaw, and neither is asking for the cheaper option. This week, let’s make the money conversation a normal part of the health conversation.

In voice and solidarity,
The Aletheia Project

This post is general information, not medical or financial advice. Prices are correct as of October 2026; check with your pharmacist or GP for your situation.

sources

• Anti-Poverty Week 2026
• Australian Bureau of Statistics, Patient Experiences, 2024–25
• Department of Health, Cheaper medicines: FAQs about the lower PBS co-payment
• PBS, Current patient fees and charges
• healthdirect, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• Department of Health, Strengthening Medicare with more bulk billing
• Department of Health, Bulk billing for all Australians
• Victorian Government, Free pads and tampons in all government schools
• South Eastern Melbourne PHN, headspace
• Services Australia, Low Income Health Care Card