News
New contraceptive added to PBS
The NuvaRing vaginal ring will be listed from 1 November, offering women more affordable and accessible birth control options.
The PBS listing will see the cost of using a NuvaRing reduced from $270 a year to $126.40, or $31.60 per script.
From 1 November, an etonogestrel with ethinylestradiol contraceptive (sold as NuvaRing) will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Announced on Monday, the addition will see the cost of using a NuvaRing reduced from $270 a year to $126.40, with a $31.60 script providing three months of contraception.
And from 1 January 2026, under Federal Government changes, the cost of a script will further reduce to $25.
NuvaRing is a flexible vaginal ring that releases a combination of estrogen and progestogen and is used on a monthly cycle, offering an alternative to daily oral contraceptives.
Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Sexual Health Medicine Dr Sara Whitburn welcomes the listing.
‘Expanding the range of affordable contraceptive options by adding NuvaRing to the PBS helps increase contraceptive choice by reducing the cost barriers that may prevent women from finding the type of contraception that works best for them,’ she said.
NuvaRing’s addition to the PBS will come on the same day as an increase to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebate for IUD and contraceptive implant insertion.
Last month, it was announced that the RACGP and Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia will deliver the AusLARC national training project, offering GPs free training to insert and remove IUDs and birth control implants.
According to the Federal Government, changes linked to long-acting reversible contraceptives will benefit around 300,000 women each year, saving each person $400 in out-of-pocket costs.
Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler said Australia has ‘one of the lowest uptake rates in the developed world of long-acting contraceptives’, partly due to access and affordability.
‘These changes to MBS and expanded options though the PBS will remove cost and access barriers so that more women can choose the contraceptive option that works best for them,’ he said.
Log in below to join the conversation.
birth control contraception LARC long-acting reversible contraceptive PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme women’s health
newsGP weekly poll
Do you think other jurisdictions should follow Queensland’s lead and allow all GPs to initiate, modify and continue ADHD medication for adults?