Check prescription expiry in Australia by type and state. Select your script type below.
📋 Sources:
Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 (Cth) reg 45 — prescription validity.
National Health Act 1953 (Cth) — PBS provisions.
TGA Electronic Prescribing Standards 2020 — eScript validity.
State Poisons Acts: NSW Poisons & Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 · Vic Drugs, Poisons & Controlled Substances Act 1981 · Qld Health (Drugs & Poisons) Regulation 1996 · SA Controlled Substances Act 1984 · WA Medicines & Poisons Act 2014 · Tas Poisons Act 1971 · ACT Medicines, Poisons & Therapeutic Goods Act 2008 · NT Medicines, Poisons & Therapeutic Goods Act 2012.
PBS copayments verified June 2026 — pbs.gov.au.
This page provides general information only. Your pharmacist or GP can advise on your specific prescription.
🇦🇺 Australia · TGA Regulations 1990 · State Poisons Acts
ℹ️ General information only. Your pharmacist or doctor can confirm whether a specific prescription can still be dispensed.
What type of script is it?
12
months
Valid for 12 months
From the date written on the script — not the date you first had it dispensed.
The clock starts on the written date. If your script is dated 1 April 2025, all repeats must be dispensed on or before 31 March 2026. It does not matter when you first had it dispensed. Source: Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 reg 45
Repeats must be used within the 12 months. If 3 repeats remain but the script is over 12 months old, a pharmacist cannot dispense any of them. All unused repeats expire with the script.
What to do if it’s expired: Return to your prescribing doctor or GP for a new script. They will usually re-prescribe if the medication is still appropriate for your condition.
✅Paper and electronic scripts have the same 12-month validity. Source: TGA Electronic Prescribing Standards 2020
✅PBS and private scripts both follow the 12-month rule.
✅Pharmacists in most states can dispense an emergency supply of some medications when a script has expired — ask your pharmacist.
6
months
Valid for 6 months
In most states and territories. From the date written on the script.
⚠️ Schedule 8 prescriptions are tightly regulated. Rules vary by state and specific drug. Your pharmacist or prescribing doctor is the most reliable source for your specific situation.
State authority approval: Most S8 prescriptions also require prior approval from the relevant state health authority before the prescriber can write the script. This is separate from the validity period. Your GP handles this when they write the prescription.
If your S8 script has expired: You will need a new prescription. For ongoing S8 medications (e.g. ADHD, chronic pain), book an appointment with your prescribing doctor well before you run out.
12
months
Same rules as paper
eScripts have the same 12-month validity (or 6 months for S8).
eScripts expire on the same schedule as paper prescriptions. Standard medicines (S4): 12 months from the written date. Schedule 8 medicines: 6 months. The written date is embedded in the QR code token. Source: TGA Electronic Prescribing Standards 2020
Lost your eScript token? Contact your prescribing doctor or the pharmacy where it was dispensed. Tokens can be resent by your GP from their prescribing software. Active Script List (ASL) enrolled patients can view their prescriptions via their pharmacy or the ASL portal.
Repeats on eScripts work the same as paper — each repeat is stored as a separate token, and all must be dispensed within the validity period.
📱eScript tokens can be used at any pharmacy in Australia. You do not need to go back to the same pharmacy as your first dispensing.
12
months
Same validity as any script
PBS status affects cost, not how long the script lasts.
Being on the PBS does not change validity. A PBS script lasts 12 months for standard (S4) medicines and 6 months for Schedule 8 controlled drugs — the same as any other prescription. Source: National Health Act 1953; TGA Regulations
PBS copayment (March 2026): General patient: $25.00 per item. Concession card holder: $7.70 per item. Once your safety net threshold is reached, further PBS medicines are free (concession) or at a reduced rate (general). Amounts indexed annually — verify at pbs.gov.au.
💰PBS Safety Net 2026: General threshold $1,748.20 · Concession threshold $277.20. Keep your receipts — ask your pharmacist to record them on your Medicare card.
Depends on schedule — PBS affects cost, not validity
All validity periods calculated from the written date on the prescription, not the date first dispensed. Source: Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990; state Poisons Acts.
Common questions
No. Once a prescription has expired, a pharmacist cannot legally dispense it, even by one day. There is no grace period. You will need a new prescription. If it is urgent, your pharmacist may be able to provide an emergency supply of some medications — ask them directly. Source: TGA Regulations; state Poisons Acts
No. All repeats must be dispensed within the validity period. If the prescription has expired, any remaining repeats are also expired and cannot be dispensed — regardless of how many remain. A new prescription from your doctor is required. Source: TGA Regulations reg 45
From the date written on the prescription — not the date you first had it dispensed. If a script was written on 1 January 2025 and you first had it dispensed on 1 June 2025, it still expires on 31 December 2025. Source: TGA Regulations
Many GPs can issue a prescription renewal via a telehealth consultation (phone or video). A new script for a stable, ongoing medication often does not require a physical examination. Check with your GP practice about their process for telehealth script renewals. Source: MBS telehealth items
For PBS medicines, a minimum interval may apply before the next repeat can be dispensed — typically related to the days supply dispensed (e.g., 20-day rule for some S8 PBS items). For non-PBS prescriptions, there is generally no mandated minimum interval, but pharmacists use their professional judgment. Ask your pharmacist if you are unsure. Source: PBS Act 1954; state S8 regulations