Pricing and buying options
Buying options
There are several ways to buy PrEP pills in Australia. All options require a valid prescription.
If you have Medicare
You can buy PrEP from any local pharmacy on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) as a government-subsidised medicine. 30 days' supply costs no more than $31.60, or $7.70 with a concession.
You can buy discounted PrEP on the PBS posted anywhere in Australia. When you buy PrEP from a group of Australian pharmacies, a charitable donation covers some of the cost. The price is $42.50 + $10.00 postage for 90 days' supply, or $7.70 + free postage with a concession.
You can personally import PrEP from an online pharmacy for home delivery. Prices start from around $20 for 30 days' supply.
You can apply for free PrEP if you cannot afford it for any reason.
Additional subsidies may be available for people with a concession, for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people under the Closing the Gap scheme, or for people who buy other PBS medicines under the PBS Safety Net threshold. This guide provides more details: How to buy PrEP – even if you can’t afford it
If you don't have Medicare
You can personally import PrEP from an online pharmacy for home delivery. Prices start from around $20 for 30 days' supply.
You can apply for free PrEP if you cannot afford it for any reason.
You can still buy PrEP from any Australian pharmacy but it might cost a lot for 30 days' supply.
Price watch
The price watch chart is updated here and on our Facebook Group. This includes options for buying PrEP from Australian pharmacies, discounted PrEP, as well as options for personal importation.
Free PrEP pills
Whether you do or don't have Medicare, if you cannot afford PrEP for any reason these assistance schemes offer free PrEP:
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In the Australian Capital Territory through Meridian
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In Western Australia through M Clinic
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Anywhere in Australia through PAN (PrEPaccessNOW)
Discounted PrEP
Prepped Smart & Healthy is a registered not-for-profit associated incorporation that covers some of the cost when you buy PrEP from a group of Australian pharmacies.
The cost for three month's supply of PrEP through Prepped Smart & Healthy is $42.50 + $10.00 postage, or $7.70 + free postage for people with a valid concession.
Anyone in Australia can take up this offer with the following conditions:
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You must have a valid Australian Medicare card
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You must have a valid PBS prescription
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If you are unable to attend a participating pharmacy, you can scan and email the prescription — you must also post your original prescription using the PO Box address provided
To access this offer online, prescriptions must be sent by email and the original posted to:
PREPPED SMART AND HEALTHY INC
PO Box 25111
Melbourne 3004
A representative from Prepped Smart & Healthy will contact you to make payment with a credit or debit card over the phone.
Accessing this offer helps support the businesses which support the charity that supports you.
Local pharmacies
PrEP is available from any local pharmacy in Australia. If it's not in stock, your pharmacist can order it in for you in a few days.
Some local pharmacies offer a postal service. Centre Pharmacy in Adelaide offers PrEP at the standard PBS price with free delivery anywhere in Australia.
Different versions of PrEP are listed on the PBS, so you might not always get the same brand of medicine every time. All versions of PrEP are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and are considered bioequivalent — this means for all intents and purposes they're the same, even though ingredients, shape, size and colour of PrEP pills may vary.
Versions of PrEP available on the PBS can be any one of these formulations:
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate 300mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Maleate 300mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Phosphate 291mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Succinate 301mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
Personal importation
Anyone in Australia can personally import PrEP from an online pharmacy. Whether you do or don't have Medicare, the TGA's Personal Importation Scheme permits this when:
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you include a valid prescription; and
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the PrEP you are importing is for your own use; and
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the total quantity of PrEP imported does not exceed three months’ supply in any one shipment; and
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the total quantity of PrEP imported within a 12 month period does not exceed 15 months’ supply of PrEP
Prices and delivery times may vary between online pharmacies. Recommended ones are:
Discover more in this comprehensive guide: How to buy PrEP online for personal importation
* Purchases from Green Cross Pharmacy contribute towards assistance schemes providing free PrEP for anyone in need.
Buying the right product online
The word "PrEP" might not appear on your prescription or on medicine labels, so it's important to make sure you're choosing the right one when buying online.
Just like PrEP sold in Australian pharmacies, versions of PrEP sold online may have slightly different active ingredients. These differences do not alter the effectiveness of PrEP in any way, even though the colour, size and shape of PrEP pills may vary.
To ensure you’re buying the right product, check it contains any one of these formulations:
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate 300mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Maleate 300mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Phosphate 291mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Succinate 301mg and Emtricitabine 200mg
Products containing Tenofovir by itself, Emtricitabine by itself, or supplementary ingredients such as Efavirenz, Elvitegravir, Cobicistat, Lamivudine or Rilpirivine are different products and are not suitable for use as PrEP.
