General information
This guide is based on publicly available information from official sources, including the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Services Australia, Healthdirect and other Australian Government health and pharmacy bodies. It is general information, not personal medical advice, and may change over time. With any medicine, always read the label and use only as directed, and if symptoms persist see your doctor or health care professional. Check anything that affects you with your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) is a federal scheme that subsidises the day-to-day supplies people with diabetes rely on: blood glucose test strips, continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensors, insulin pump consumables, and urine test strips. Most community pharmacies are registered NDSS Access Points, so you collect these supplies over the counter the same way you collect a prescription. Registration is free, and you pay a subsidised price rather than the full retail cost. Insulin itself is not on the NDSS; it sits on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) alongside your other medicines. For the wider picture of how community pharmacies support ongoing conditions, see our medication management guide.
What the NDSS covers
The NDSS subsidises the consumables of diabetes management rather than the medicines. The main products are blood glucose test strips, subsidised for registered people who use them, with some limits for people with type 2 diabetes who do not use insulin; urine test strips, used to check for ketones, a warning sign of the dangerous state called ketoacidosis; CGM sensors, subsidised for the eligible groups set out below; and insulin pump consumables, the infusion sets and reservoirs a pump needs. Insulin syringes and pen needles are covered too, and are effectively free, because state and territory governments cover their co-payment.
The medicines themselves are not on the NDSS. Insulin and most oral and injectable diabetes medicines are subsidised through the PBS instead, and an NDSS product needs registration rather than a prescription. The NDSS is an Australian Government initiative, administered by Diabetes Australia, and has run since 1987 (About the NDSS).
How to register for the NDSS
Registration is free and starts with a signed NDSS registration form. Through a pharmacy, it runs to four steps.
The NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 can help you lodge the form, and after your first visit some pharmacies can find you by your Medicare number alone. There is no income test: the NDSS price is the same for everyone registered, and holding a concession card lowers it further.
Who can get a subsidised CGM
CGM sensors are the one NDSS product group with eligibility rules beyond having diabetes and being registered. Subsidised CGM opened to everyone with type 1 diabetes from 1 July 2022, and access still runs on diabetes type rather than income. As of 2026 the eligible groups are people with type 1 diabetes of any age; women with type 1 diabetes who are actively planning a pregnancy, pregnant, or immediately post-pregnancy; and children and young people under 21 who have a rare condition very similar to type 1 diabetes and need insulin. Some people receive CGM fully subsidised with no co-payment, while others pay a co-payment.
Type 2 diabetes is not currently covered for subsidised CGM. Eligibility is certified by an authorised health professional, an endocrinologist, a credentialled diabetes educator, or another diabetes specialist, who assesses you and completes the NDSS form. Because these rules have changed before, the current list is on the NDSS CGM access page. If you have type 1 diabetes and still pay full price for sensors, it is worth asking your diabetes team whether you qualify.
Only a registered Access Point holds NDSS stock and can apply the subsidy at the counter. A pharmacy that is not registered may still order the same products, but at the full private price.
How to find an NDSS Access Point
Most Australian community pharmacies are registered Access Points, and the official locator at ndss.com.au lets you search by suburb or postcode. In remote areas, some Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and clinics act as Access Points too, and the locator covers those as well.
Access Point status is not something a general pharmacy directory tracks, so the NDSS locator is the reliable way to confirm a specific pharmacy. Once you know yours is registered and your card is on file, collecting supplies is as routine as filling a script.
NDSS and the PBS: two schemes, one counter
People often confuse the two schemes, because both apply at the pharmacy counter and both reduce what you pay. They cover different products and work differently: an NDSS product needs registration but no prescription, while a PBS medicine needs a prescription. Our PBS guide explains the PBS side in full.
| Scheme | What it covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| NDSS | Diabetes consumables | Test strips, CGM sensors, pump consumables, urine strips, pen needles, insulin syringes |
| PBS | Diabetes medicines | Insulin, oral diabetes medicines, injectable non-insulin diabetes medicines |
General information drawn from publicly available sources, which can change. Check anything that affects your situation with your pharmacist.
A single visit can involve both. You might collect a PBS-subsidised insulin prescription and a box of NDSS-subsidised test strips at the same counter, paying two separate prices to two separate schemes. The two connect in one place worth knowing: a PBS Safety Net card is among the concession cards that also lower NDSS prices, so it is worth showing at the counter.
How to keep your registration current
Registration generally lasts for life once you are on the scheme, though a few details need updating over time. CGM and insulin pump consumables need periodic re-certification, at the interval your diabetes team sets, to confirm you still meet the criteria. Address and contact changes go through the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 or the online portal. And if your diabetes changes, for instance type 2 progressing to needing insulin, your prescriber updates your record so the right products are subsidised. If you stop using a category of product, there is no need to deregister; you simply stop collecting it.
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Frequently asked questions
You can ask your GP, endocrinologist, or credentialled diabetes educator to complete an NDSS registration form with you, then take it to any NDSS Access Point pharmacy or post it to the NDSS. Registration is free, and once you are registered you can collect subsidised supplies straight away.
