"For many women these newer pills are unaffordable. "While many women find that the PBS-listed pills suit them well, it is inequitable that financially disadvantaged women who do benefit from one of the newer pills, sometimes after trialling several types, may not have that option because of cost," she said.įamily Planning advises women to start with the PBS-listed pills, which have good safety records and whose efficacy is backed by strong clinical data, or to consider long-acting reversible contraception methods such as the hormonal IUD or implant, which last up to five and three years respectively and cost about $38 on the PBS. A question of equityįamily Planning NSW medical director Dr Deborah Bateson said the effect of higher prices is most acute for women on lower incomes, whose choice of contraception is limited by what they can afford. The number of women who receive PBS benefits for oral contraceptives has been steadily falling and decreased by 35 per cent between 20, according to a 2013 Family Planning NSW report.Īt the same time, Australia's health policies trail other markets such as the United Kingdom and the United States, which have enacted policies to make a range of contraceptives available for free.
The newer-generation pills contain different hormones and usually a lower dosage than their predecessors, and can have additional benefits such as reducing acne in some women, or being less likely to cause weight gain as a side effect. The difference in price between older PBS-listed pills and some newer varieties on the private market can be significant - as high as $28 or so a month if you are a pensioner or other concession card holder ($21 or so a month for a general consumer). If provided on a PBS prescription, oral contraceptives typically cost between $6.20 for a concessional consumer and $21 for a general consumer (for a four-month supply).īefore that, the most recent oral contraceptive to receive a PBS listing was Levlen back in 1992.These cost Australian consumers between $70 and $90 for a three-month supply.Unsubsidised oral contraceptives include Yasmin, Marvelon, Yaz, Qlaira, Zoely.That pill was Femme-Tab ED 20/100 in 2013, a lower dose so-called 'combination pill' (containing both estrogen and progestogen classes of hormones), which has existed in higher doses on the PBS for many years. In the past 20 years, just one pill has been added to Australia's PBS, which subsidises prescription drugs. If your brand of pill is a newer variety or happens to carry a woman's name, it is likely you are funding the cost of your prescription entirely out of your own pocket.īut if these newer and more expensive contraceptives are simply out of your price range, the choice of cheaper pills available to you on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is significantly narrower.Īnd it is a situation some family planning experts believe needs to change. It has been 55 years since the pill hit the Australian market and it remains the most popular method of contraception, despite a host of other longer-acting options becoming available in that time. The names are instantly recognisable to many women who take the contraceptive pill.
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