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.
Last reviewed: 14th July 2026
A Webster pack is the most common type of Dose Administration Aid (DAA) in Australia. Your pharmacist prepares a sealed weekly tray with each tablet sorted into the right time slot for each day, so you or a carer can see at a glance what to take and when. For older Australians on several medicines, for people with memory or cognitive difficulties, and for carers managing someone else's medication, a Webster pack is built to make doses easier to keep track of and can help reduce missed doses.
The federal DAA Program covers the packing cost for many people. Who qualifies, what it costs, and how to set one up are below.
Source: Pharmacy Programs Administrator and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), 2026 fees
What is a Webster pack?
The tray itself is sealed plastic, usually organised by week: seven columns for the days, four rows for morning, midday, evening, and bedtime doses. Your pharmacist fills each cell with the correct tablets, seals the tray, and you peel back the foil at each dose time.
Each pocket holds the medicines for one day and time, and you peel the foil when it is due. If your doctor changes a dose partway through the week, the pharmacy remakes the rest of the week.
"Webster pack" is a brand that has been used in Australian pharmacies for decades and has since become a generic term. Other dose administration aid brands include Multidose, MediPlanner, and various sachet-style alternatives. They all do the same job, so the brand your pharmacy uses makes no real difference to you.
The technical term used by Australian regulators and the federal funding program is "Dose Administration Aid".
Is a Webster pack right for you?
The Pharmacy Programs Administrator describes DAAs as being for people who have trouble managing the timing of their medicines. In practice, a pack tends to suit anyone in one of these situations.
- Take five or more regular medicines.
- Have memory or cognitive difficulties that make missed doses likely.
- Are recently discharged from hospital with a complex regimen.
- Are managed by a carer who needs a clear, error-resistant medication system.
- Have several chronic conditions with different specialists prescribing.
- Have a visual impairment that makes reading bottle labels difficult.
Pharmacists often suggest a Webster pack after a MedsCheck or Home Medicines Review shows that keeping track of doses has become hard.
A sealed tray and a simple schedule together make it easy to see what has been taken and what is still due, which is often what reduces missed doses.
How much does a Webster pack cost, and who pays?
Cost depends on your pharmacy and whether you qualify for federal funding. There are three common patterns.
| How you pay | Who it applies to | The packing cost |
|---|---|---|
| Federal DAA Program | Concession card holder living at home who has difficulty managing their medicines, including those taking five or more | Free |
| Pharmacy-funded | Some chains and competitive independents, offered as a customer service | Free |
| Private weekly fee | Everyone else | A weekly fee that varies by pharmacy |
Pharmacy Programs Administrator, DAA Program. You still pay the normal PBS co-payment for each medicine inside.
Pattern 1: Subsidised through the federal DAA Program
Eligible Australians can get free packing through the Pharmacy Programs Administrator's DAA Program. The Pharmacy Programs Administrator sets the criteria, and a concession card is central to them: you hold a Medicare or Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) card, you live at home rather than in residential aged care, and you hold a current government-issued concession card. On top of that, you either have difficulty managing your medicines (for reasons including physical disability, cognitive difficulty, or a language or literacy barrier) or take five or more prescription medicines and have trouble managing them. Your community pharmacist assesses this and confirms your eligibility.
The program funds each participating pharmacy for a set number of DAA services a week, so if you qualify, your pharmacist provides the pack with no out-of-pocket cost for the packing. You still pay the normal PBS co-payment for each medicine inside. In 2026 that is $7.70 per medicine for concession card holders, compared with the general co-payment of $25.00 for Medicare card holders, reduced from $31.60 on 1st January 2026, according to the Australian Government.
Pattern 2: Pharmacy-funded free service
Some pharmacies, particularly chains and competitive independents, offer Webster packs free as a customer service. You pay for the medicines at PBS rates, and the pharmacy absorbs the packing labour. It is worth asking your local pharmacy whether they do this.
Pattern 3: Private fee
If you do not qualify for the DAA Program and your pharmacy does not absorb the packing cost, a weekly fee applies, paid directly to the pharmacy. Costs vary widely between pharmacies, so it can pay to compare a few before settling.
For aged care residents, packing is funded through the residential aged care medication management arrangements, not the consumer-facing DAA Program, which the Pharmacy Programs Administrator confirms does not cover people in residential aged care. Your aged care provider arranges this with its pharmacy.
How to set up a Webster pack
Setting one up is straightforward, and it takes about four steps.
Your pharmacist may recommend a Home Medicines Review first, especially if you take many medicines, so the pack reflects your current prescriptions. Some pharmacies prefer fortnightly cycles to reduce trips and waste, though one week per pack is the standard.
Your pharmacist fills and checks the tray against your current prescriptions, so each sealed pocket matches what your prescriber intends before you take it home.
What is typically included in a Webster pack
Most pharmacies pack the medicines you take on a fixed daily schedule.
- All regular oral prescription medicines.
- Regular daily supplements like vitamin D or calcium, on request.
- Some 'when required' (PRN) medicines if explicitly agreed (less common).
Some items usually sit outside the pack, either because they are not taken on a set schedule or because they need different handling. That normally covers "when required" medicines like relievers or occasional pain relief, liquid medicines, inhalers, eye drops, creams and patches, refrigerated medicines like insulin, and anything you have started since the last pack was sealed, for which the pharmacy prepares a separate partial pack.
If your GP increases a dose, adds a new medicine, or stops one, the pharmacy redoes the rest of the week, so it helps to let them know when something changes.
How to move your Webster pack to another pharmacy
You can change pharmacies at any time. The new pharmacy will usually want your current sealed pack so it can see what was inside, your current prescriptions (paper or eScript tokens) or your agreement to transfer them, and a list of any non-prescription medicines or supplements in the pack.
The new pharmacy sets up a fresh pack, usually within a few days, and you can keep using your existing sealed packs until the new ones are ready.
Carer pickup and delivery
If you are a carer, you can collect the pack on behalf of someone else. The pharmacy may ask you to confirm you are authorised, particularly where the pack contains Schedule 8 medicines. It may also ask for ID and a note from the person being cared for.
A sealed weekly tray makes it simple for a family member or carer to see what is due, and many pharmacies deliver, which helps if getting to the pharmacy is hard. Ask what delivery costs; it is often free for regular DAA customers.
What happens when you go into hospital or respite
If you are admitted to hospital, the hospital usually takes over your medication management for the stay. It helps to mention you are on a Webster pack, and hospitals generally ask you to bring the current pack so the admitting team can see exactly what you have been taking.
Respite care works the same way: the respite facility manages medications during your stay, so your current pack goes with you. When you go home, your community pharmacist resumes the Webster pack cycle.
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Frequently asked questions
It depends on how the packing is funded. Eligible concession card holders can get it free through the federal DAA Program, and some pharmacies offer it free as a customer benefit. Otherwise a weekly fee applies, paid directly to the pharmacy and varying from one to the next. The medicines inside are charged separately at the usual PBS rate whichever route you fall under.
