Continued access to affordable medicines for veterans impacted by the Queensland floods

From today, the Australian Government has expanded existing Continued Dispensing arrangements under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS). This ensures Australians affected by the flooding disaster in Far North Queensland can continue to access important medicines.

Continued Dispensing arrangements will be extended to most PBS/RPBS medicines supplied through community pharmacies. This means that Australians, including veterans and families who have lost their medicines and/or prescriptions can obtain a one-off standard quantity of eligible PBS/RPBS medicines without a prescription.

The patient must previously have been prescribed this medicine and the pharmacist must be satisfied that it is urgently needed and it is not practical to obtain a new prescription due to the impacts of the floods.

These emergency measures will continue until 1 March 2024.

For more information visit the PBS website.