Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme restriction requirement exemptions for some medicines during the COVID 19 pandemic
Page last updated: 29 September 2020
The Australian Government is implementing a temporary measure from 1 May 2020 to allow some flexibility around PBS restrictions for eligible PBS medicines to ensure continued treatment for patients during the COVID-19 crisis.
Where a treating medical professional considers that a patient taking an eligible PBS medicine should be exempt from any specific Authority Required PBS restriction requirement, as it may put the patient at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, or cannot be completed due to social distancing or isolation requirements, a request for exemption for that PBS restriction requirement will be able to be lodged with Services Australia (Medicare) from 1 May 2020. The request for exemption will need to be included with the authority request through the normal process.
A list of eligible PBS medicines is available below.
This measure will only apply to continuation prescriptions for patients who have previously received a script for the eligible PBS medicine, and all other PBS restriction criteria that are not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will still apply.
It is a legal requirement that the prescriber note the reasons for the proposed waiver and how it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some examples of situations that may result in the prescriber seeking the exemption might include a patient not being able to attend an outpatient clinic to perform a test, because the patient is required to quarantine, or where a prescriber considers it would not be appropriate for an immunocompromised patient to attend a clinic for a consultation and the information cannot be obtained in a telehealth consultation.
This measure is being implemented based on the advice of the expert Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The measure will be repealed by 31 March 2021.
Pharmaceutical items eligible for waiver from certain PBS restriction requirements during the COVID‑19 pandemic
|
Listed drug |
Form |
|---|---|
|
Abatacept |
Injection 125 mg in 1 mL single dose autoinjector, |
|
Abatacept |
Injection 125 mg in 1 mL single dose pre‑filled syringe |
|
Abatacept |
Powder for I.V. infusion 250 mg |
|
Adalimumab |
Injection 20 mg in 0.4 mL pre‑filled syringe |
|
Adalimumab |
Injection 40 mg in 0.8 mL pre‑filled syringe |
|
Adalimumab |
Injection 40 mg in 0.8 mL pre‑filled syringe, 6 |
|
Adalimumab |
Injection 40 mg in 0.8 mL pre‑filled pen |
|
Adalimumab |
Injection 40 mg in 0.8 mL pre‑filled pen, 4 |
|
Adalimumab |
Injection 40 mg in 0.8 mL pre‑filled pen, 6 |
|
Ambrisentan |
Tablet 5 mg |
|
Ambrisentan |
Tablet 10 mg |
|
Baricitinib |
Tablet 2 mg |
|
Baricitinib |
Tablet 4 mg |
|
Benralizumab |
Injection 30 mg in 1 mL single dose pre‑filled syringe |
|
Benralizumab |
Injection 30 mg in 1 mL single dose pre‑filled pen |
|
Bosentan |
Tablet 62.5 mg (as monohydrate) |
|
Bosentan |
Tablet 125 mg (as monohydrate) |
|
Certolizumab pegol |
Injection 200 mg in 1 mL single use pre‑filled syringe |
|
Certolizumab pegol |
Solution for injection 200 mg in 1 mL pre‑filled pen |
|
Dornase alfa |
Solution for inhalation 2.5 mg (2,500 units) in 2.5 mL |
|
Epoprostenol |
Powder for I.V. infusion 500 micrograms (as sodium) |
|
Epoprostenol |
Powder for I.V. infusion 500 micrograms (as sodium) with 2 vials diluent 50 mL |
|
Epoprostenol |
Powder for I.V. infusion 1.5 mg (as sodium) |
|
Epoprostenol |
Powder for I.V. infusion 1.5 mg (as sodium) with 2 vials diluent 50 mL |
|
Etanercept |
Injection set containing 4 vials powder for injection 25 mg and 4 pre‑filled syringes solvent 1 mL |
|
Etanercept |
Injection 50 mg in 1 mL single use auto‑injector, 4 |
|
Etanercept |
Injections 50 mg in 1 mL single use pre‑filled syringes, 4 |
|
Golimumab |
Injection 50 mg in 0.5 mL single use pre‑filled pen |
|
Golimumab |
Injection 50 mg in 0.5 mL single use pre‑filled syringe |
|
Golimumab |
Injection 100 mg in 1 mL single use pre‑filled pen |
|
Guselkumab |
Injection 100 mg in 1 mL single use pre‑filled syringe |
|
Iloprost |
Solution for inhalation 20 micrograms (as trometamol) in 2 mL |
|
Infliximab |
Powder for I.V. infusion 100 mg |
|
Ivacaftor |
Sachet containing granules 50 mg |
|
Ivacaftor |
Sachet containing granules 75 mg |
|
Ivacaftor |
Tablet 150 mg |
|
Ixekizumab |
Injection 80 mg in 1 mL single dose pre‑filled pen |
|
Lenalidomide |
Capsule 5 mg |
|
Lenalidomide |
Capsule 10 mg |
|
Lenalidomide |
Capsule 15 mg |
|
Lenalidomide |
Capsule 25 mg |
|
Lumacaftor with ivacaftor |
Sachet containing granules, lumacaftor 100 mg and ivacaftor 125 mg |
|
Lumacaftor with ivacaftor |
Sachet containing granules, lumacaftor 150 mg and ivacaftor 188 mg |
|
Lumacaftor with ivacaftor |
Tablet containing lumacaftor 100 mg with ivacaftor 125 mg |
|
Lumacaftor with ivacaftor |
Tablet containing lumacaftor 200 mg with ivacaftor 125 mg |
|
Macitentan |
Tablet 10 mg |
|
Mannitol |
Pack containing 280 capsules containing powder for inhalation 40 mg and 2 inhalers |
|
Mepolizumab |
Powder for injection 100 mg |
|
Montelukast |
Tablet, chewable, 4 mg (as sodium) |
|
Montelukast |
Tablet, chewable, 5 mg (as sodium) |
|
Nintedanib |
Capsule 100 mg |
|
Nintedanib |
Capsule 150 mg |
|
Omalizumab |
Injection 75 mg in 0.5 mL single dose pre‑filled syringe |
|
Omalizumab |
Injection 150 mg in 1 mL single dose pre‑filled syringe |
|
Pirfenidone |
Capsule 267 mg |
|
Pirfenidone |
Tablet 267 mg |
|
Pirfenidone |
Tablet 801mg |
|
Pomalidomide |
Capsule 3 mg |
|
Pomalidomide |
Capsule 4 mg |
|
Riociguat |
Tablet 500 micrograms |
|
Riociguat |
Tablet 1 mg |
|
Riociguat |
Tablet 1.5 mg |
|
Riociguat |
Tablet 2 mg |
|
Riociguat |
Tablet 2.5 mg |
|
Risankizumab |
Injection 75 mg in 0.83 mL pre‑filled syringe |
|
Rituximab |
Solution for I.V. infusion 500 mg in 50 mL |
|
Secukinumab |
Injection 150 mg in 1 mL pre‑filled pen |
|
Sildenafil |
Tablet 20 mg (as citrate) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 0.4 mg (1.2 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 0.6 mg (1.8 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 0.8 mg (2.4 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 1 mg (3 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 1.2 mg (3.6 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 1.4 mg (4.2 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 1.6 mg (4.8 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 1.8 mg (5.4 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 2 mg (6 i.u.) with diluent in single use syringe (without preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 4 mg (12 i.u.) vial with diluent (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 18 i.u. (6 mg) cartridge with 3.15 mL diluent (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 72 i.u. (24 mg) cartridge with 3.15 mL diluent (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Powder for injection 5 mg (15 i.u.) with diluent in pre‑filled pen (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Powder for injection 12 mg (36 i.u.) with diluent in pre‑filled pen (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Injection 36 i.u. (12 mg) cartridge with 3.15 mL diluent (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 5 mg (15 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) in pre‑filled pen |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 5 mg (15 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 6 mg (18 i.u.) in 1.03 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 10 mg (30 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 10 mg (30 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) in pre‑filled pen |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 10 mg (30 i.u.) in 2 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 12 mg (36 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 15 mg (45 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 15 mg (45 i.u.) in 1.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) in pre‑filled pen |
|
Somatropin |
Solution for injection 20 mg (60 i.u.) in 2.5 mL cartridge (with preservative) |
|
Tadalafil |
Tablet 20 mg |
|
Tezacaftor with ivacaftor and ivacaftor |
Pack containing 28 tablets tezacaftor 100 mg with ivacaftor 150 mg and 28 tablets ivacaftor 150 mg |
|
Tildrakizumab |
Injection 100 mg in 1 mL single dose pre‑filled syringe |
|
Tocilizumab |
Concentrate for injection 80 mg in 4 mL |
|
Tocilizumab |
Concentrate for injection 200 mg in 10 mL |
|
Tocilizumab |
Concentrate for injection 400 mg in 20 mL |
|
Tocilizumab |
Injection 162 mg in 0.9 mL single use pre‑filled pen |
|
Tocilizumab |
Injection 162 mg in 0.9 mL single use pre‑filled syringe |
|
Tofacitinib |
Tablet 5 mg |
|
Upadacitinib |
Tablet 15 mg |
|
Ustekinumab |
Injection 45 mg in 0.5 mL |
|
Ustekinumab |
Solution for I.V. infusion 130 mg in 26 mL |
|
Vedolizumab |
Powder for injection 300 mg |
