This paper reports on some of the findings to date of the Centre’s pharmaceuticals research program, drawing upon a number of research papers produced by the Centre and included within the package of resource papers provided (CSES 2003, 2004; Sweeny 2002, 2003, 2004). Section 2 describes the important features of the PBS and trends in the price and quantity of drugs available under the scheme using a detailed database covering the period 1991-92 to 2002-03.