Repeat Prescriptions in Australia: How Repeats Work and What to Do When They Run Out

The repeats system is set by the federal PBS rules and applies at every Australian pharmacy.

What a repeat is

A repeat is a pre-authorised second (or third, or fourth) supply of the same prescription. Your GP writes the original script and adds a number on the script that tells the pharmacy how many additional fills you are allowed without coming back for a new prescription.

If your GP writes "Repeats: 5", you can have the medicine filled six times in total: one original fill plus five repeats. Each fill supplies the quantity the GP wrote (often 30 days, sometimes 60 days under the 60-day rule).

Repeats reduce GP visits for stable, ongoing conditions. They are designed for medicines you take regularly and need to keep taking without interruption.

How many repeats a doctor can prescribe

For PBS medicines, the rules are set by the PBS list, not by your individual GP.

Medicine type	Typical repeats allowed
Most PBS medicines	Up to 5
Some specialty PBS medicines	0 or 1 (safety rules)
Schedule 8 medicines	0 to 2, stricter monitoring
Private prescriptions	GP's choice, usually 0 to 5

The maximum number of repeats varies by medicine and is set by the PBS authority. Your GP is bound by these limits. If the medicine allows 5 repeats, your GP can write any number up to 5; for a medicine restricted to 2 repeats, the GP cannot write more.

Authority-required PBS medicines may also have restrictions on how many repeats are allowed, set per indication. Your GP applies for authority at the time of writing the script.

How repeats appear on eScripts

On an eScript, the repeats are baked into the original token, but you only see one token at a time.

Here is the cycle:

1. Your GP issues the eScript. You receive the first token by SMS or email.
2. You forward the token to a pharmacy and the medicine is dispensed.
3. The national prescription delivery infrastructure regenerates a new token for your next repeat and sends it to you.
4. You wait until you need the next fill, then forward the new token to a pharmacy.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the repeats run out.

The new token after each fill is independent of which pharmacy you used. You can use a different pharmacy each time if you choose, although most people pick one and stick with it. For more on the switching mechanics, see our transfer a prescription guide.

If you are registered for an Active Script List, the repeats sit on the list and your nominated pharmacy can access them directly without you forwarding tokens.

When repeats expire

A PBS prescription with repeats expires 12 months after the date the prescriber wrote the script. After the 12 months are up, any unused repeats are no longer valid. The pharmacy cannot dispense them, and you need a new prescription from your GP.

Two practical implications:

• If you skip months in your dispensing pattern (filled in January, did not fill again until November), the clock is still running from January. Your repeats expire in January the following year regardless of when you last filled.
• If you have one repeat left and the 12 months are nearly up, fill it before the expiry date. Otherwise you forfeit it.

Schedule 8 prescriptions have shorter validity in some states (six months in several states). Your pharmacist will tell you.

Running out before your repeats refresh

Sometimes your supply runs out before you can fill the next repeat. Reasons include:

• You went travelling and lost track of the dose
• A new GP increased your dose mid-script
• A pack was lost, damaged, or stolen
• The medicine was not absorbed properly (vomiting after dose, splitting tablets unevenly)

If you genuinely run out of an eligible PBS medicine, your pharmacist may be able to help under the Continued Dispensing provision. See our continued dispensing guide for the full rules. CD allows one supply per medicine per 12-month period without a current prescription, charged at the standard PBS co-payment.

If CD does not apply (for example, the medicine is not on the eligible list), the next step is a same-day GP appointment, a telehealth consult, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for advice.

What to do when repeats run out

When your last repeat is dispensed, no further tokens are generated. You need to see your prescriber for a fresh script.

The standard process:

1. Book a GP appointment before you run out. Two weeks' lead time is comfortable.
2. The GP reviews your dose, your condition, and any recent test results.
3. The GP issues a new eScript with a new set of repeats (or the same number as last time).
4. You receive the new token by SMS or email.
5. Continue your normal dispensing pattern.

For medicines used long-term, the GP visit between scripts is also a clinical check. Blood pressure, weight, blood tests, mental health check-ins. The repeat structure is designed to make sure you do not go more than a year without a review.

If you use a regular telehealth service, repeat scripts can usually be issued without an in-person visit, although a once-a-year face-to-face is best practice for most chronic-disease medicines.