Patterns in PBS medicines by socioeconomic area
Information about relative economic and social circumstances of people and households within a geographic area are summarised in this report by ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) indices. IRSD SEIFA measures relative disadvantage and is summarised as quintiles (1 indicating a lower socioeconomic area, 5 a higher socioeconomic) in this report. For more detail see Technical notes.
During 2023, the lowest socioeconomic areas (SEIFA quintile 1) had the highest annual PBS prescription rates of 15 dispensed prescriptions on average per person per year compared to the highest socioeconomic areas (SEIFA quintile 5) with an annual average rate of 11 dispensed prescriptions per person per year. The lowest socioeconomic areas also had the highest PBS expenditure rates of $714 on average per person per year compared to the highest socioeconomic areas rate of $606 per person per year (Table 4).
The general trend across all socioeconomic areas based on IRSD SEIFA has been toward similar monthly PBS prescription rates and higher monthly PBS expenditure rates over time between 2013 and 2023. Patients in lower socioeconomic areas were dispensed more PBS medicines and had higher government expenditure on PBS prescriptions compared with higher socioeconomic areas (Figure 4).
| Category* | Annual PBS prescription rate (N per person) | Annual PBS expenditure rate ($ per person) |
|---|---|---|
| National | 12.6 | 641.52 |
| 1 (lowest socioeconomic area) | 14.8 | 713.80 |
| 2 | 14.3 | 690.13 |
| 3 | 14.4 | 733.33 |
| 4 | 12.4 | 624.55 |
| 5 (highest socioeconomic area) | 11.3 | 606.41 |
*Based on the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD). SEIFA quintile 1 indicates an area of greater disadvantage, SEIFA 5 an area with less disadvantage.
Figure 4: Monthly PBS prescription and expenditure rates by SEIFA
See the following for an extended description.
The PBS prescription rate in the lowest socioeconomic areas, SEIFA quintile 1, changed from 1.0 prescriptions dispensed per person in January 2013 to 1.3 in December 2023, from 1.0 to 1.3 in SEIFA quintile 2, from 1.0 to 1.3 in SEIFA quintile 3, from 0.8 to 1.1 in SEIFA quintile 4 and from 0.8 to 1.0 in SEIFA quintile 5, the highest socioeconomic areas.
The PBS expenditure rate in SEIFA quintile 1 changed from an average of $30 per person in January 2013 to $68 in December 2023, from $29 to $66 in SEIFA quintile 2, from $30 to $69 in SEIFA quintile 3, from $27 to $60 in SEIFA quintile 4 and from $25 to $58 in SEIFA quintile 5.