In the private sector, most medicines are funded by medical schemes, which pay in full for products listed on their formularies. Patients can also get non-formulary products, but often have to pay for these out of their own pockets. Non-medical scheme members also pay out of pocket for over-the-counter and prescription medicines bought at private sector pharmacies.

Private sector medicine sales are governed by the single exit price (SEP) regulations, which control the ex-factory price of drugs and the markups levied at every step on the supply chain from manufacturer to pharmacy checkout. These prices are publicly available, and the Health Minister controls annual increases.