A type of Special Patient Contribution, see Special Patient Contributions
When there is more than one product per prescribing rule and the Responsible Person has set the product price above the lowest priced product. The difference is paid by the consumer.
For ready-prepared items –
BP=Manufacturer DPMQ - Lowest DPMQ
For infusible drugs –
BP=Submitted DPMA per PR/DR - Lowest DPMA per PR/DR.
Section 1 of the Schedule—Explanatory notes, 4. Patient charges, and 5. The Safety Net Scheme
Section 2 of the Schedule—Symbols used in the Schedule and Brand Premium Policy
See examples 2 and 5
The brand price premium is a compulsory charge.
Substitution of a less expensive brand for a brand name medicine may occur if:
the less expensive brand is marked as brand-substitutable in the Schedule
the patient requests or agrees to the substitution and it has not been vetoed by the practitioner (Section 1 of the Schedule—Explanatory notes, 3. Supplying medicines—What pharmacists need to know).
The price difference on a more expensive brand is payable by the patient. Most of this premium goes to the manufacturer. Pharmacists receive only the applicable pharmacy mark-up component of the brand price premium.
If a prescription is written generically or for the lowest priced brand, and the lowest priced brand is supplied, the brand price premium should not be charged. However, if a higher priced brand is supplied by substitution, the applicable brand price premium must be charged.
The brand price premium amount does not count towards the PBS Safety Net threshold of the patient and cannot be entered on the PBS Safety Net PRF.
If a prescription with a brand price premium has increased quantities (for example, authority prescription or Regulation 24) the charge is multiplied by the number of PBS maximum quantities supplied.
If a prescription is for a broken quantity, the wastage factor table is used to determine the relevant brand price premium (Section 1 of the Schedule—Explanatory notes, 9. Pricing PBS prescriptions). If the quantity is less than the PBS maximum quantity but is not a broken pack, the brand price premium is reduced by the multiple (for example, when half the PBS maximum quantity is prescribed the brand price premium is halved).
Brand price premiums are listed in Section 2 of the Schedule under the heading “Premium” and are identified with a leading “B”.
This charge does not apply to:
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