Pharmaceutical Charges Explained
When you pick up your prescription from a pharmacy, you will probably have to pay at least some of the cost, depending on a number of factors including whether the drug is fully subsidised or partly subsidised, and on whether you hold a community services card or a high user health card.
For information on what you will pay for your medicine at the pharmacy, please visit the Ministry of Health's 
website.
Information on Subsidies and Co-payments
For partly-subsidised medicines, the final price you pay depends on the difference between the subsidy and the manufacturer’s price, and the size of the mark-up the dispensing pharmacy charges. Some pharmacies charge a higher mark-up on the drugs they dispense than others. This means that the final price you pay for a prescription medicine that is not fully-subsidised may vary between pharmacies. However, pharmacies are required to provide you with a receipt detailing the cost of the drug and the final cost to you. If you have any queries regarding the amount you are required to pay, ask the pharmacist to explain to you how the final cost is calculated. If you are not satisfied, you can always phone another pharmacy to compare costs.
Page updated on 11 Mar 2011
