General information
This guide is general information, not personal medical advice, and may change over time. Always check anything that affects you with your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
Once your family's PBS spending for the 2026 calendar year crosses the Safety Net threshold ($1,748.20 for general patients, $277.20 for concession card holders), you become eligible for a PBS Safety Net card. The card drops your subsequent scripts to $7.70 each (general) or to free (concession) for the rest of the calendar year. You can apply online through Services Australia, by phone, or in person at any community pharmacy. Full background on how the PBS Safety Net works is in our pillar guide.
Key facts
- 2026 thresholds: $1,748.20 general, $277.20 concession, per family per calendar year.
- After the threshold, scripts drop to $7.70 (general) or free (concession) for the rest of the year.
- Three application routes: at any pharmacy, online via Services Australia, or by phone on 132 011.
- The card is backdated to the day you crossed the threshold; refunds available on intervening fills.
- Family Safety Net record must be set up before filling scripts to pool spending.
When you become eligible
The Safety Net runs on a calendar year. It resets at 12:00 am on 1 January and you start accumulating again from your first script of the year.
The 2026 thresholds are:
| Patient type | 2026 threshold (per family per year) | Script cost after threshold |
|---|---|---|
| General | $1,748.20 | $7.70 |
| Concession | $277.20 | Free |
"Family" means you, your partner, and your dependent children under 16 (or under 25 if a full-time student). Eligible spending across the family pools toward a single threshold.
Once you cross the threshold, every following PBS-listed script that year drops to the Safety Net rate. The savings are immediate.
Three ways to apply
You do not need to wait for paperwork in the mail. The card can be issued the day you cross the threshold.
1. At any pharmacy
The fastest route. When the pharmacist dispenses the script that tips you over the threshold, they can issue the Safety Net card on the spot. Show your previous receipts or your Prescription Record Form so the pharmacist can confirm your year-to-date total.
If you have been filling scripts at multiple pharmacies, bring records from each, or ask one pharmacy to print your dispensing history.
2. Online through Services Australia
If the pharmacy did not spot the threshold on the day, you can apply through your myGov account. The page is at servicesaustralia.gov.au/pbs-safety-net-card-application. You will need:
- Your Medicare number
- Your Customer Reference Number (CRN) if you have one
- A scan or photo of your Prescription Record Form, or a printed dispensing history from any pharmacy
Services Australia processes the application and posts the card. Allow up to four weeks.
3. By phone
Call Services Australia on 132 011 (Medicare general enquiries) and request a Safety Net card application. They can take the details over the phone if you have your Medicare number and your script history to hand.
What you need
The pharmacist or Services Australia confirms your year-to-date spending from one of two records.
- Prescription Record Form (PRF): a paper or printed-on-receipt running tally that pharmacists update each time you fill a script. If you use multiple pharmacies, ask each one to update the same form.
- Medicare number: if you have linked Medicare to myGov, your PBS spending updates automatically and Services Australia can see your total without a PRF. The same information appears in the Medicare app under "PBS expenditure".
If your PRF is incomplete because you switched pharmacies or lost the form, ask any pharmacy to print a 12-month dispensing history. Each pharmacy keeps its own record. You can also ask Services Australia to recalculate from the central PBS log.
When the card kicks in
The card is backdated to the date you actually crossed the threshold. If there is a gap between crossing the threshold and the card arriving, any scripts you fill at full co-payment in the meantime are eligible for a refund of the difference. Take the receipts back to the dispensing pharmacy within 12 months and ask for the adjustment.
From the date the card is in your wallet:
- General patients: every PBS script for the rest of the calendar year is $7.70.
- Concession card holders: every PBS script for the rest of the calendar year is free.
Show the card at every pharmacy fill. The pharmacy applies the Safety Net rate at the counter; there is no separate paperwork.
Family Safety Net rules
The Safety Net is calculated per family unit, not per person. Services Australia treats the following as a single family:
- You and your partner (married, de facto, or registered relationship)
- Dependent children under 16
- Dependent full-time students under 25
To pool the family's spending, each member must be listed on a single Family Safety Net record with Services Australia. Set this up through myGov, by phone, or in person at a Centrelink or Medicare service centre before you start filling scripts that year. If the family record is not in place, each person's spending is counted separately and may not reach the threshold individually.
For a complete look at concessional rates and how they interact with the Safety Net, see our guide to concession card pharmacy savings.
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$1,748.20 for general patients and $277.20 for concession card holders, per family per calendar year. Both thresholds reset on 1 January each year.
