Labor Pledges to Lower PBS Drug Costs to $25 Per Script, Coalition Matches Promise

The Coalition matched Labor’s offer to reduce PBS medicine costs, with Mark Butler confirming changes would take effect from January 1.

A customer is served at an Amcal pharmacy in Albany, Western Australia, on Dec. 10, 2023. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

Labor has pledged to cap the cost of drugs to $25 per script from January next year under a revised Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) plan if they win re-election.

Currently, the maximum cost for PBS medicines stands at $31.60. The taxpayer-backed scheme subsidises the cost of essential medications for all Australians.