Advertising price lists for pharmacy and prescription-only medicines

Prescription and pharmacist only medicines contain substances included in schedule 3, 4 or 8 of the Poisons Standard (but not in appendix H) and are generally prohibited from being advertised to the public. 

However, the Code allows for these medicines to be advertised to the public in the form of a price list under certain conditions.

Only medicines that are registered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) can be advertised in a price list. 

See What can and cannot be advertised to the general public. For more information on which therapeutic goods are prohibited from being advertised to the general public.

There are conditions that need to be met before you can advertise price information for applicable prescription and certain pharmacist-only medicines.

Only certain people can publish and distribute price lists

Price information can only be published and distributed by:

• retail pharmacies or their agents
• pharmacy marketing groups (banner groups)
• certain authorised medical practitioners that are approved under section 92 of the National Health Act 1953 - external site.

All other health professionals and businesses cannot advertise price information to the public.

Price information must be in an accepted advertising format

Price information can be advertised in a range of media, including catalogues, newspapers and online.

However, they must not be advertised:

• on radio or television (including pay and streaming services)
• on digital or non-digital displays, including in pharmacies 
• in or on public transport or on billboards
• in cinemas.

You must correctly present price lists

The price list must contain:

• 25 medicines or more
• the name and contact details of the retailer who is selling the medicine.

You cannot mix products that are not therapeutic goods in with the list.

Medicines must be listed in alphabetical order by medicine name or active ingredient name. 

If your price list contains medicines that occur in different schedules to the Poisons Standard, for example a mix of prescription and pharmacist-only medicines together, you can group these by schedule.

Each sub list must contain three or more:

• medicines from each schedule (in alphabetical order)
• the name of sponsor shown on the ARTG entry for the goods.

Online search functions

Price information can be published or disseminated online through a search function included in an electronic sales system. The search results do not need to provide all required information outlined above. 

The search rules only need to include:

• for a search conducted using the medicine name, all medicines of that name
• for a search conducted using an active ingredient, a list of all relevant medicines in alphabetical order.

Correctly describing medicines in a price list

Price information for each medicine must include:

• the name of the medicine 
• the strength of each active ingredient (if there is more than one) as shown on the label
• the dosage form of the medicine
• the quantity of medicine in the standard pack included in the ARTG
• the purchase price for the relevant number of units of the standard pack.

Your price list can include a statement to indicate that a prescription is required for a medicine.

Additional requirements for price lists that include medicines in the PBS

Price lists containing a medicine listed in the PBS must indicate:

• the medicine is listed in the PBS
• the price is subsidised by the Australian Government
• the price applies when prescribed for the medical conditions listed in the PBS for that medicine, without mentioning those medical conditions
• the total purchase price of the medicine. Both concessional and full prices can be provided.

Additional requirements for pharmacy marketing group price lists

If a pharmacy marketing group’s price list includes:

• a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidised medicine with a brand or therapeutic group premium
• a medicine from the group’s own generic medicine that is also listed in the PBS

Then it must also include the price for at least one other brand of that medicine.

Examples can be found in our Guidance: Applying the Advertising Code rules: price information.

Price lists must not include any other promotional information

When presenting a price list, do not include any other promotional information that may guide consumers to choose a particular medicine over another. This includes:

• rewards or offers 
• comparative statements 
• references to therapeutic uses
• embellishments.

More detailed information, including what you should avoid presenting in your price list can be found in our Guidance: Applying the Advertising Code rules: price information.