Browse by Brand Premium
There are three types of premiums:
BRAND PREMIUM POLICY
BRANDS OF PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFIT ITEMS WHICH HAVE A BRAND PREMIUM AND THAT MAY BE SUBSTITUTED
The Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits shows differences in price between some alternative brands of the same drug product.
Manufacturers can develop generic equivalents and apply to have them listed on the PBS. In doing this, manufacturers need to ensure that they comply with the relevant legislation applicable to patents. These brands are clinically equivalent and must undergo the same strict quality controls. Although these brands are designed to act on the body in exactly the same way, they are usually cheaper than the originator brands.
The Australian Government, through the PBS, subsidises up to the price of the lowest priced brand (except in those instances where the lowest priced brand has, as part of its price, a therapeutic group premium). This means that consumers may have to pay extra for more expensive brands (those with a brand premium). This extra amount does not count towards their PBS safety net threshold.
Brand substitution by pharmacists without reference to the prescriber is permitted for PBS prescriptions where:
- the patient agrees to the substitution;
- the brands are identified in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits as being interchangeable;
- the prescriber has not indicated on the prescription form that substitution is not to occur; and
- substitution is permitted under the relevant State or Territory legislation.
Prescription forms supplied by Services Australia contain a box to be ticked where brand substitution is not to take place.
Prescribers not using these prescription forms should endorse the prescription if brand substitution is not permitted. Where a stamp is used for this purpose, the prescriber will be required to initial the stamped statement.
For ease of prescribing and dispensing, and in the interests of your patients, the following list shows those PBS drugs that attract a brand premium and that can be substituted where permitted. They are listed alphabetically, by brand name, with the brand premium and benchmark brand(s) cited in the last column.
- Legend
- BBrand premium applies
- aBrand equivalent a
- DPDentist
- MPMedical Practitioner
- NPNurse Practitioner
- OPOptometrist
Premium priced brand | Form & strength | Max qty packs |
Max qty units |
No. of repeats |
Brand premium | Benchmark priced brands |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caduet 10/10 | Bamlodipine 10 mg + atorvastatin 10 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $4.84 | Cadivast 10/10 |
Caduet 10/20 | Bamlodipine 10 mg + atorvastatin 20 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $4.86 | Cadivast 10/20 |
Caduet 10/40 | Bamlodipine 10 mg + atorvastatin 40 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $4.92 | Cadivast 10/40 |
Caduet 10/80 | Bamlodipine 10 mg + atorvastatin 80 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $5.00 | Cadivast 10/80 |
Caduet 5/40 | Bamlodipine 5 mg + atorvastatin 40 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $4.87 | Cadivast 5/40 |
Caduet 5/80 | Bamlodipine 5 mg + atorvastatin 80 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $4.97 | Cadivast 5/80 |
Cardizem | Bdiltiazem hydrochloride 60 mg tablet, 90a | 1 | 90 | 5 | $1.90 | Diltiazem AN Vasocardol |
Cardizem CD | Bdiltiazem hydrochloride 180 mg modified release capsule, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $1.90 | Diltiazem Sandoz CD Vasocardol CD |
Cardizem CD | Bdiltiazem hydrochloride 240 mg modified release capsule, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $1.90 | Diltiazem Sandoz CD Vasocardol CD |
Cardizem CD | Bdiltiazem hydrochloride 360 mg modified release capsule, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $1.90 | Diltiazem Sandoz CD Vasocardol CD |
Ceclor | Bcefaclor 125 mg/5 mL powder for oral liquid, 100 mLa | 1 | 1 | 1 | $7.85 | Aclor 125 Keflor |
Ceclor | Bcefaclor 250 mg/5 mL powder for oral liquid, 75 mLa | 1 | 1 | 1 | $7.85 | APO-Cefaclor Aclor 250 Keflor |
Ceclor CD | Bcefaclor 375 mg modified release tablet, 10a | 1 | 10 | 1 | $7.85 | APO-Cefaclor CD Karlor CD Keflor CD |
Celestone-M | Bbetamethasone (as valerate) 0.02% cream, 100 ga | 2 | 2 | 0 | $5.00 | Antroquoril |
Cellufresh | Bcarmellose sodium 0.5% eye drops, 30 x 0.4 mL unit dosesa | 3 | 3 | 5 | $6.21 | Optifresh Tears |
Celluvisc | Bcarmellose sodium 1% eye drops, 30 x 0.4 mL unit dosesa | 3 | 3 | 5 | $6.21 | Optifresh Plus |
Cholstat 10 | Bpravastatin sodium 10 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $2.75 | APO-Pravastatin APX-Pravastatin Lipostat 10 Pravachol Pravastatin Sandoz |
Ciloxan | Bciprofloxacin 0.3% eye drops, 5 mLa | 2 | 2 | 0 | $4.36 | CiloQuin |
Cipramil | Bcitalopram 20 mg tablet, 28a | 1 | 28 | 5 | $12.95 | APO-Citalopram APX-Citalopram Celapram Citalopram AN Citalopram Sandoz NOUMED CITALOPRAM Talam |
Colgout | Bcolchicine 500 microgram tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $2.02 | Colcine Lengout |
Cosopt | Bdorzolamide 2% + timolol 0.5% eye drops, 5 mLa | 1 | 1 | 5 | $0.80 | Cosdor Vizo-PF Dorzolatim |
Coveram 10/10 | Bperindopril arginine 10 mg + amlodipine 10 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $9.85 | APO-Perindopril Arginine/Amlodipine 10/10 Reaptan 10/10 |
Coveram 10/5 | Bperindopril arginine 10 mg + amlodipine 5 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $9.50 | APO-Perindopril Arginine/Amlodipine 10/5 Reaptan 10/5 |
Coveram 5/10 | Bperindopril arginine 5 mg + amlodipine 10 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $9.29 | APO-Perindopril Arginine/Amlodipine 5/10 Reaptan 5/10 |
Coveram 5/5 | Bperindopril arginine 5 mg + amlodipine 5 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $8.93 | APO-Perindopril Arginine/Amlodipine 5/5 Reaptan 5/5 |
Coversyl 10mg | Bperindopril arginine 10 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $9.82 | APO-Perindopril Arginine PREXUM 10 |
Coversyl 2.5mg | Bperindopril arginine 2.5 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $9.54 | APO-Perindopril Arginine PREXUM 2.5 |
Coversyl 5mg | Bperindopril arginine 5 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $9.28 | APO-Perindopril Arginine PREXUM 5 |
Coversyl Plus 5mg/1.25mg | Bperindopril arginine 5 mg + indapamide hemihydrate 1.25 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $6.99 | Prexum Combi 5/1.25 |
Coversyl Plus LD 2.5mg/0.625mg | Bperindopril arginine 2.5 mg + indapamide hemihydrate 625 microgram tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $7.66 | PREXUM Combi LD 2.5/0.625 |
Crestor | Brosuvastatin 10 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 11 | $3.48 | APX-Rosuvastatin Blooms the Chemist Rosuvastatin Cavstat Crosuva 10 Noumed Rosuvastatin Pharmacor Rosuvastatin 10 Rosuvastatin APOTEX Rosuvastatin Lupin Rosuvastatin RBX Rosuvastatin Sandoz |
Crestor | Brosuvastatin 20 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $3.45 | APX-Rosuvastatin Blooms the Chemist Rosuvastatin Cavstat Crosuva 20 Noumed Rosuvastatin Pharmacor Rosuvastatin 20 Rosuvastatin APOTEX Rosuvastatin Lupin Rosuvastatin RBX Rosuvastatin Sandoz |
Crestor | Brosuvastatin 40 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 5 | $4.38 | APX-Rosuvastatin Blooms the Chemist Rosuvastatin Cavstat Crosuva 40 Noumed Rosuvastatin Pharmacor Rosuvastatin 40 Rosuvastatin APOTEX Rosuvastatin Lupin Rosuvastatin RBX Rosuvastatin Sandoz |
Crestor | Brosuvastatin 5 mg tablet, 30a | 1 | 30 | 11 | $3.50 | APX-Rosuvastatin Blooms the Chemist Rosuvastatin Cavstat Crosuva 5 Noumed Rosuvastatin Pharmacor Rosuvastatin 5 Rosuvastatin APOTEX Rosuvastatin Lupin Rosuvastatin RBX Rosuvastatin Sandoz |
Cymbalta | Bduloxetine 30 mg enteric capsule, 28a | 1 | 28 | 0 | $12.88 | APO-Duloxetine DYTREX 30 Duloxecor Duloxetine Sandoz Duloxetine Sandoz 30 Tixol |
Cymbalta | Bduloxetine 60 mg enteric capsule, 28a | 1 | 28 | 5 | $10.25 | APO-Duloxetine DYTREX 60 Duloxecor Duloxetine Sandoz Duloxetine Sandoz 60 Tixol |