Free NRT in Australia: How to Access Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (VIC, SA & Nationwide)

Cost shouldn’t be the thing that stops you quitting - and increasingly, in Australia, it doesn’t have to be. Depending on where you live and your circumstances, you may be able to get nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) free or at a subsidised price, alongside free support. Here’s how the options fit together, starting with the most generous.

Who Is Eligible for Free NRT in Victoria and South Australia?

Victoria and South Australia are running a pilot that gives eligible residents free combination NRT through Quitline. It’s funded by the Victorian Department of Health and, in South Australia, Preventive Health SA with the Australian Government, and delivered by Quitline. It covers quitting smoking or vaping.

To be eligible, you generally need to:

• Live in Victoria or South Australia, and

• Be a new Quitline client willing to receive call-back counselling, or an existing Quitline client within two weeks of quitting.

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, NRT can still be an option, but it should be used with advice - Quitline and your doctor can guide what’s right for you. Eligibility is assessed by a Quitline counsellor when you call.

What’s Included - Free Combination NRT

The pilot provides combination NRT: a nicotine patch for steady background relief, plus a fast-acting form for cravings in the moment. Here’s what that means:

Using a patch together with a fast-acting form is called combination therapy, and according to Quitline and Cochrane evidence reviews, it gives people a better chance of quitting than a single form alone. If you’d like the details, see why combination NRT works.

How to Apply Through Quitline (13 78 48)

Quitline is the access point for the free program - you don’t apply through myduke® or a pharmacy. It’s three steps:

1. Call Quitline on 13 78 48 - or ask your doctor, pharmacist or a health service to refer you.

2. Talk to a trained counsellor, who’ll check your eligibility and discuss which NRT suits you.

3. If you’re eligible, you’ll receive free combination NRT and call-back counselling to support you through quitting.

Free and Low-Cost NRT in Other States

If you’re outside Victoria and South Australia, there’s still support - it just varies by state:

• Quitline, nationwide. Free, confidential quit counselling is available in every state and territory on 13 78 48.

• Queensland. Queensland Quitline’s intensive quit support includes a free 12-week supply of NRT (patches, gum and lozenges) alongside counselling, with targeted programs for pregnancy and young people.

• New South Wales. Cancer Council NSW’s iCanQuit and the NSW Quitline offer free tools and counselling; NRT is generally accessed over the counter or on the PBS.

• Targeted access. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, concession card holders and people in some health services may be able to access free or subsidised NRT, including through the Closing the Gap PBS co-payment measure.

Programs and eligibility change. Always check the current offer in your state with Quitline (13 78 48) or your state health service before relying on it.

Low-Cost NRT Nationwide - the PBS

If there’s no free program you’re eligible for, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is the lowest-cost paid route. Nationally, nicotine patches are subsidised on the PBS when prescribed by a doctor or nurse practitioner - a 12-week supply per year (one prescription plus two repeats), as part of a quit-support and counselling program.

Two things are worth knowing. The PBS subsidy covers nicotine patches on their own - it doesn’t subsidise combination therapy (two forms at once). And all NRT - patches, gum, lozenges and mouth spray - is also available over the counter at pharmacies and many supermarkets without a prescription, if you’d rather not wait for an appointment.

What if I’m Not Eligible, or I’m Outside VIC and SA?

You still have good options. Quitline counselling is free everywhere, over-the-counter NRT is available at any pharmacy, and the PBS route above can bring the cost of patches down with a prescription.

A doctor-led service can also help. myduke® offers Australian adults an online pathway where an independent AHPRA-registered doctor reviews your assessment and, where it’s clinically appropriate, supports a quit plan - which can include a PBS-subsidised patch prescription. Completing an assessment doesn’t guarantee a prescription or a particular treatment; an independent doctor decides what’s appropriate for you.

You can read more about doctor-led treatment options, or how to use nicotine patches and nicotine gum if you’re weighing up which to try.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Free and low-cost quitting support is more available in Australia than many people realise - from the free combination-NRT pilot in Victoria and South Australia, to free NRT through Queensland Quitline, to free counselling everywhere on 13 78 48, to PBS-subsidised patches nationwide. The right starting point depends on where you live and your situation.

Whichever route fits, the first step is the same: reach out. If you’re eligible for a free program, Quitline is the place to start; if you’d prefer a doctor-led plan, myduke® can review your case and support the options that suit you.