PBS API

Page last updated: 07 Nov 2024

The Department of Health and Aged Care has developed an API for the efficient distribution of PBS schedule data. This API contains the full dataset of the PBS Schedule, including details of the medicines subsidised by the Australian Government and the conditions for their prescribing and dispensing. The PBS Schedule and the data in the API is updated on the first day of every month.

Users can access the API endpoints, retrieve all data associated with a Schedule and download that file to their local storage ready for upload into their own systems/databases.

The API has not been designed as a high-volume real-time system, but rather as a data storage and retrieval system to enable users the ability to download and store local copies of the data.

Features of the API

  • The PBS schedule data has been loaded into a relational database
  • There is one API endpoint for each table in the database
  • There is one logical set of data in the API for each combination of PBS item code and Trade Product Pack
  • Every effective PBS schedule for the most recent 12 months is in the API
  • Data can be downloaded in JSON and CSV formats
  • Each month is distinguished in the API by a ‘schedule code’
  • The ‘schedules’ endpoint in the API has metadata about each schedule code
  • Each API request can be filtered by schedule code, PBS program and PBS item code
  • The API uses open standards (REST, JSON, CSV) and will work with any REST API tool.
  • A limit of one request per second has been implemented for the embargo API
  • The public API is rate-limited to one request per twenty seconds - this limit is shared amongst all concurrent users of the PBS public API.
  • As per standard modelling rules, data lives in its most natural location with associative tables resolving any many-to-many relationships, and reference tables used to reduce redundant storage.

PBS API - public or embargo

There are two API access options available; 

1. PBS ‘public’ API - This API always displays the current PBS Schedule data and is freely available to everyone. This API is updated on the first day of every month. Users wishing to access the public version of the API can use the following guidance.

2. PBS ‘embargo’ API (early access) - This API provides early access to software vendors for the purposes of updating prescribing, dispensing and claiming software prior to a new Schedule’s date of effect. Software vendors can apply to access this API by using the following guidance.

PBS API Resources