Technical notes
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Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions dashboard
Some of the statistics in this report are based on information contained in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescriptions: monthly data – dashboard. For more detail, refer to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions: monthly data – technical notes.
The data used in this report were extracted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) from the PBS subsidised prescriptions data in the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care's Enterprise Data Warehouse on 16 August 2024. The data presented in this report relate to prescriptions dispensed between January 2013 to December 2023.
Classes of medicines
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescriptions are reported using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System, whereby each PBS item is allocated to an ATC category. The ATC Classification System is a classification for medicines into 5 hierarchical levels (1 being the most general level, 5 being the narrowest). This classification is based active ingredients and according to what part of the body the medicine acts on and other properties (therapeutic, pharmacological and chemical).
The ATC categories presented in this report are shown in Table 5.
| Code prefix | Anatomical group | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alimentary tract and metabolism | This category includes antinauseants, digestives, antidiarrheals & vitamins and minerals supplements. |
| B | Blood and blood forming organs | Includes antithrombotic agents, antihemorrhagics & blood substitutes. |
| C | Cardiovascular system | Includes antihypertensives, diuretics, beta blocking agents & lipid modifying agents. |
| D | Dermatologicals | Includes antifungals for dermatological use, corticosteroids, antiseptics & disinfectants. |
| G | Genito urinary system and sex hormones | Includes gynaecological antiinfectives and antiseptics, sex hormones & urologicals. |
| H | Systemic hormonal preparations, excluding sex hormones and insulins | Includes pituitary, hypothalamic and pancreatic hormones, corticosteroids & thyroid therapy. |
| J | Antiinfective for systemic use | Includes antithrombotic agents, antihemorrhagics & blood substitutes. |
| L | Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents | Includes antineoplastic agents; immunostimulants & immunosuppressants. |
| M | Musculo-skeletal system | Includes anti-inflammatory and antirheumatics products, muscle relaxants & drugs for treatment of bone diseases. |
| N | Nervous system | Includes anaesthetics, analgesics (painkillers, opioids), psycholeptics & psychoanaleptics. |
| R | Respiratory system | Includes nasal and throat preparations, drugs for chronic obstructive airway diseases & antihistamines for systemic use. |
| S | Sensory organs | Includes ophthalmologicals. |
Populations
Population statistics are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Estimated Resident Population (ERP) statistics (National, state and territory population) as at 30 June. When calculating rates, the denominator is the total ERP of an area as at the previous 30 June.
- For any month of the first half of a calendar year, the ERP is as at 30 June of the previous year.
- For any month of the second half of the year, the ERP is as at 30 June of the current year.
The most current ERP is used when the relevant ERP has not been released.
Australian Statistical Geographical Standard for Remoteness Areas
The Australian Statistical Geographical Standard (ASGS) for Remoteness Areas (RA) was developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to collect and disseminate geographically classified statistics (ABS 2011; ABS 2016; ABS 2021).
The ASGS's remoteness structure categorises geographical areas in Australia into 5 remoteness areas, which are characterised by a measure of relative geographic access to services:
- Major cities
- Inner regional
- Outer regional
- Remote
- Very remote.
The ABS website includes detailed information on the ASGS, including the key changes made between each edition.
Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas
Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) indices in this report are based on the ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD). The IRSD summarises information about relative economic and social circumstances of people and households within an area. IRSD only measures relative disadvantage and is summarised as quintiles (1 to 5) in this report. A low IRSD score indicates an area of greater disadvantage (lowest socioeconomic area), while a higher score an area with less disadvantage (highest socioeconomic area).
Note that SEIFA and remoteness are assigned by mapping to Local Government Area using the patient’s postcode (not via the dispensing pharmacy’s postcode).
Measures used in the report
The measures used in this report are calculated per person on a monthly or yearly basis. Monthly statistics are influenced by the number of working days from month to month. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription rate for a given time interval (monthly, annually) is defined as:
Number of PBS prescriptions dispensed in the time interval/ Relevant estimated residential population (ERP) applicable for the time interval.
The denominator is based on the estimated resident population in Australia as at the previous 30 June and does not account for the changing age structure of the population across time or other confounding factors.
The PBS expenditure rate for a given time interval (monthly, annually) is defined as:
Amount of Australian Government spending (benefits) on PBS prescriptions dispensed in the time interval/ Relevant estimated residential population (ERP) applicable for the time interval.
Australian Government spending (benefits) are not adjusted for inflation. Note that the Australian Government pays pharmacies the difference between a patient's co-payment and the PBS price of a medicine, as listed on the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits. This excludes any special patient contributions (for example, brand price premiums) or optional fees imposed at the discretion of the dispensing pharmacy.
Statistics in this report use date of supply to reflect the period in which a prescription was dispensed to a patient. It is possible for prescription volumes to change between releases of statistics due to the late lodgement of claims and adjustments to claims. The last 3 months of statistics are considered to be preliminary as they are incomplete and subject to revision due to claims for PBS benefits still being submitted to Services Australia for processing and payment.
Graphs of monthly data have a smoothing curve applied to better display the underlying pattern over time.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) are Australian Government Health programs that subsidise the cost of a wide range of medicines in Australia. The PBS began in 1948 and is available to current Medicare card holders as well as to overseas visitors from countries with Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia. The RPBS was established in 1919 for returning Australian service people who had served in previous wars. Veterans, war widows and widowers, and their dependants are eligible for the RPBS if they have an assessed clinical need for the item and hold a Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Gold, White or Orange card.
The PBS data is a national administrative dataset and contains information on prescription medicines that qualify for a benefit under the National Health Act 1953 and for which a claim has been processed. The database comprises information about PBS and RPBS scripts and payments, patients, prescribers and dispensing pharmacies.
Note that RPBS data is aggregated with PBS data in this report and reported in a combined statistic.
Scope of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme statistics
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) statistics only include prescription medicines that are listed on the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits (PBS Schedule) and have had a claim processed. They do not include:
- private prescriptions, off-label prescribing and over-the-counter medicines
- medicines supplied to public hospital in-patients (except New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)
- PBS Opiate Dependence Treatment Program prior to 1 July 2023
- any PBS medicines supplied under special arrangements that are not processed through PBS online
- information on reasons for prescribing, prescribed dosage, frequency of administration and intended duration – information on how the patient uses the dispensed medicine once the patient has received the medicine.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2011) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), Volume 1 – Main Structure and Greater City Statistical Areas. ABS cat. no. 1270.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS.
ABS (2016) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), Volume 1 – Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas. ABS cat. no. 1270.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS.
ABS (2021) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, ABS Website, accessed 23 July 2024.
ACSQHC (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care) (2022) Antimicrobial use and appropriateness in the community: 2020–2021, ACSQHC, accessed 23 July 2024.
ACSQHC (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care) (2023a) It’s time to weigh up harm from antibiotics: new report, ACSQHC, accessed 24 July 2024.
ACSQHC (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care) (2023b) AURA 2023: Fifth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health, ACSQHC, accessed 23 July 2024.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2021) The first year of COVID-19 in Australia: direct and indirect health effects, AIHW, Australian Government accessed 23 July 2024.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2022) Impacts of COVID-19 on Medicare Benefits Scheme and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: quarterly data, AIHW, Australian Government accessed 23 July 2024.
Mellish L, Karanges EA, Litchfield MJ, Schaffer AL, Blanch B, Daniels BJ, Segrave A and Pearson S-A (2015) The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data collection: a practical guide for researchers, British Medical Journal Research Notes, 8(634), doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1616-8.