Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Opioid Dependence Treatment Program
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) was introduced by the Australian Government in 1948 to improve access to necessary medicines. Under the PBS, current Medicare card holders as well as overseas visitors from countries with Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia can access a range of medicines at a cheaper price, subsidised by the Government. Most PBS-listed medicines can only be dispensed at a PBS approved pharmacy (PBS 2022).
Opioid Dependence Treatment Program
The Australian Government supports access to opioid pharmacotherapy through the PBS Opioid Dependence Treatment (ODT) Program. Medicines currently listed for ODT on the PBS Schedule include:
- methadone oral liquid
- buprenorphine sublingual tablets
- buprenorphine-naloxone sublingual films
- long-acting injectable buprenorphine products.
On 1 July 2023, ODT medicines became part of the Section 100 Highly Specialised Drugs (HSD) Program (Community Access) arrangements enabling eligible patients to access up to 28 days’ supply of ODT medicines from approved dispensers. In addition, an ODT Community Pharmacy Program was established, introducing nationally consistent payment arrangements for pharmacotherapy services provided by community pharmacists (PBS 2023). For more information, see Opioid Dependence Treatment Program.
Transitional arrangements were in place from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. During this time, the Australian Government continued to pay pharmaceutical companies directly for ODT medicines supplied to authorised private ODT clinics and other non-PBS dosing sites. These arrangements provided state and territory governments with time to work with non-PBS dosing sites to transition patients to the PBS or other arrangements. The transitional arrangements did not apply to PBS approved community or hospital pharmacies who must supply ODT medicines to their patients under the PBS arrangements (PBS 2023).
For more information, see Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data collection, Australian Government Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing data quality.
What is PBS opioid dependence treatment data?
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) analysis of the ODT program on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data collection provides financial year information about patients:
- with a current Medicare card
- dispensed opioid dependence treatment through the PBS at a PBS approved pharmacy between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025.
Data from the PBS provides information on the number of prescriptions dispensed and the number of patients dispensed at least one prescription within a given financial year.
The PBS data does not contain information on private prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, off-label prescribing information or on medicines supplied to public hospital in-patients (with some exceptions) and correctional facilities (with some exceptions).
Information on the actual patient prescriptions (such as instructions) written by prescribers is not captured. Similarly, information on the actual use of PBS prescription medicines by patients is also not captured. For more information on the data quality of the PBS, see Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data collection, Australian Government Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing data quality.
PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) (2022) About the PBS, PBS website, accessed 10 December 2024.
PBS (2023) Opioid Dependence Treatment Program, PBS website, accessed 10 December 2024.