Australians living with diabetes will save money from a further reduction in the cost of prescription medicines, with the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) maximum co-payment for general patients set to fall to $25 from January 1 next year.

This reduction will apply to a wide range of PBS-listed medicines, including empagliflozin (Jardiance, Glyxambi and Jardiamet) and dapagliflozin (Forxiga, Qtern and Xigduo XR), which are among the most prescribed treatments for people living with type 2 diabetes. The lower co-payment will deliver significant financial relief for people managing diabetes, especially those who need multiple medicines on a regular basis.

According to the Federal Government, the last time Australians paid no more than $25 for a PBS prescription was in 2004. This change marks a return to that price point and follows a series of major reforms designed to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

The reduction represents a more than 20 percent cut from the current general patient co-payment of $30. The government says it is expected to save Australians more than $200 million each year.

Pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the current co-payment freeze, with the maximum charge for PBS medicines held at $7.70 until 2030.