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. Many community pharmacies are registered NDSS Access Points (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.
General information, not medical advice
This guide explains how things work in general. It cannot tell you what is right for you, so check anything that affects you with your pharmacist or GP.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
Based on official Australian government and health sources. Rules can change.
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 the NDSS says they are free for people registered with the scheme.
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 (About the NDSS).
How to register for the NDSS
Registration is free and starts with a signed NDSS registration form. It usually runs to four steps.
The NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 can help if you have any problems, and while you wait for your NDSS card to arrive, you can show your Medicare card or NDSS registration number at any Access Point (NDSS registration). There is no income test. Most products carry a small co-payment, which is lower for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for holders of a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, PBS Safety Net card or Department of Veterans' Affairs concession card (NDSS products).
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 1st 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. If your usual pharmacy is not one, the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 can help you find one nearby.
How to find an NDSS Access Point
Many Australian community pharmacies are registered Access Points, as are some health centres, clinics and hospitals (NDSS Access Points). To find one near you, the NDSS suggests searching healthdirect or calling the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700.
Access Point status is not something a general pharmacy directory tracks, so calling the pharmacy or the NDSS Helpline 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 products and insulin pump consumables each need their own access form, certified by an authorised health professional, so it is worth checking with your diabetes team if your circumstances change. Address and contact changes go through the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 or the online portal. And if your treatment changes, for instance type 2 progressing to needing insulin, your authorised health professional can submit a syringe or pen needle access form, so you do not need to register again. 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, and they can usually lodge it for you. Registration is free, and while you wait for your card you can show your Medicare card or NDSS registration number at any Access Point (NDSS registration).
Registration is free. You then pay a small co-payment for most products, while pen needles and syringes are free for registered people. A concession card reduces the co-payment further (NDSS products). The exact price per item is set by the scheme and changes over time, so the current figure is on ndss.com.au.
Many community pharmacies are NDSS Access Points, as are some health centres, clinics and hospitals (NDSS Access Points). To be sure about a particular one, you can call the pharmacy or the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700.
No. Insulin is subsidised through the PBS, not the NDSS. The NDSS covers the consumables you use to manage diabetes: test strips, CGM sensors, pump consumables, syringes, pen needles, and urine strips.
It depends on your diabetes type. Subsidised CGM currently covers type 1 diabetes only: people of any age with type 1, women with type 1 around pregnancy, and under-21s with a rare type-1-like condition who need insulin. It does not currently cover type 2 diabetes. An authorised health professional confirms your eligibility and completes the NDSS form, and the current rules are on ndss.com.au.
Your NDSS card and your Medicare card. If your NDSS card has not arrived yet, the NDSS says you can show your Medicare card or your NDSS registration number at any Access Point.
