PBS Drug Pricing API
The Aristocles PBS API provides real-time pricing for every drug listed on Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme — what the government pays, what the patient pays, and current safety net thresholds. Covers 14,000+ listings, updated monthly.
Who it's for
Built for real people
Health tech developers, AI agents in medical contexts, pharmacists, and apps that need to answer 'how much does this medication cost?' with verified PBS data.
Features
Key capabilities
14,000+ PBS-listed medications with current benefit prices
Patient cost calculation (general and concessional rates)
Safety net threshold and copayment data
Search by generic or brand name
Therapeutic group and ATC code classification
MCP server tools for direct AI agent integration
How it works
Three simple steps
Get an API key
Same key as all Aristocles APIs. Free tier covers 100 requests per day.
Query by drug name
Look up any medication by its generic or brand name. Get the PBS benefit price, what a general patient pays, what a concession card holder pays, all available forms, and the current safety net threshold.
Deliver verified answers
Your AI agent or health app gives users accurate, government-sourced PBS pricing instead of guesses. Data is updated each time PBS releases a new monthly schedule.
Pricing
Simple, transparent pricing
Start free, upgrade when you need more. All plans include full API access.
Free
Get started and explore the API
- 100 API requests per day
- All endpoints included
- Community support
Pro
For production apps and AI agents
- 10,000 API requests per day
- All endpoints included
- Priority support
- Usage dashboard
Enterprise
Unlimited access for high-volume use
- Unlimited API requests
- All endpoints included
- Priority support
- Usage dashboard
- Dedicated support channel
Getting Started
Start building in minutes
Register for a free API key, make your first request, and upgrade when you're ready.
Register
Create an account to get your API key. It's free — no credit card required.
curl -X POST https://api.aristocles.com.au/v1/auth/register \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"email": "you@example.com", "name": "Your Name"}'Make a request
Use your API key in the X-API-Key header to authenticate requests.
curl https://api.aristocles.com.au/v1/data/asx \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"Upgrade
Need more requests? Upgrade to Pro or Enterprise — you'll be redirected to Stripe Checkout.
curl -X POST "https://api.aristocles.com.au/v1/billing/checkout?tier=pro" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"Check usage
Monitor your daily request count and remaining quota at any time.
curl https://api.aristocles.com.au/v1/usage \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here"Privacy & Security
Your data, your control
PBS pricing data is publicly published by the Australian Government. No patient data or personal health information is collected or stored. API usage is tracked only for rate limiting and billing.
All payments are processed securely through Stripe. We never store card details.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the PBS?
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is the Australian government program that subsidises the cost of medications. The PBS sets a 'benefit price' — what the government pays — and a 'patient contribution' — what you pay at the pharmacy.
How current is the data?
The PBS releases a new schedule on the 1st of every month. Our data is updated on the 3rd of each month after the release is processed.
What is the difference between general and concessional rates?
General patients pay up to $31.60 per prescription. Concession card holders pay up to $7.70. Once you hit the annual safety net threshold, further prescriptions are free (general) or heavily discounted (concessional). The API returns both rates.
Can I search by brand name?
Yes. You can search by generic name (e.g. 'metformin') or brand name (e.g. 'Glucophage'). The API returns both originator brands and generics.
Is this the same API key as the other Aristocles APIs?
Yes. One key gives access to all endpoints — PBS, subscriptions, trade pricing, and rental — with the same free tier and billing.
Can I use this in a commercial health application?
Yes. PBS data is published by the Australian Government under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Our API is suitable for commercial health apps, chatbots, and pharmacy tools.