Online Scripts

• If you recently saw your doctor and you have lost your prescription. (It happens to other people too, and more often than you think!)
• If you are rapidly running out of a medication you take for a long-term problem (eg diabetes, blood pressure etc); you can’t get in to see us before the script runs out but you will see us within the next few weeks.
• For acute flare ups of conditions for which you see your doctor regularly and they have developed a plan that includes you asking for a script without being seen. (eg antibiotics for recurrent urine infections)

All these examples are subject to the doctor feeling it is reasonable and in your best interests. That will depend on your conditions, when you were last seen and the medication you are requesting.

Please note this lists examples only and is not pretending to be complete.

• Antibiotics for acne
• Antibiotic repeat for a current infection that is getting better but not quite cured
• Antibiotics for recurrent infections (chest, urine) where you have a plan with your doctor
• Anti-depressants (but usually only one month, no repeats until you come in for review)
• Asthma drugs (but during an acute attack you should come in for review)
• Acid drugs (eg Somac, Nexium, Tagamet etc)
• Blood pressure tablets (but usually only for one month with no repeats until you come in for review)
• Cholesterol drugs (but usually only one month with no repeats until you get your cholesterol tested)
• The contraceptive pill (but usually only one script with no repeats till you are reviewed)
• Diabetes medication (provided you are being regularly reviewed and having blood tests)
• Pain medication like anti-inflammatories, paracetamol, Lyrica, Tramadol (with regular review)
• Thyroid tablets (if you’ve had recent tests)
• Warfarin (if regularly monitored)
• Nausea drugs (eg Stemetil, Maxalon, Zofran etc)
• Psychiatric drugs (but only one month with no repeats, till you come for review)
• Men’s health drugs (eg Duodart, Flomaxtra, Viagra with regular review)

• We don’t do online scripts for patients who aren’t regular patients of our clinic. We encourage you to either speak to your own GP or become a patient of our clinic so that we can help manage your health broadly, not just by writing scripts.

The following medications require regular and close supervision. We therefore will not write repeat scripts for these medications using our online request service.

Please note this lists examples only and is not pretending to be complete.

• Sleeping pills (Temazepam, Normison, Serepax, Valium, Stilnox, Belsomra etc)
• Strong pain killers (Endone, Panadeine Forte, Targin, MS Contin)

Please note that

• Repeated online requests for repeats without regular review, even for benign medications, will be declined.
• ANY medication that we feel is not in your best interests to receive without a consultation will be declined. Our main concern is for your health, and whilst we have added this service to increase convenience, sometimes expediency needs to be demoted.

• If you were seen recently, we might write more than a single month’s supply
• If you and your doctor have previously made an arrangement

In Australia, all scripts have a limited number of repeats. That is because all health conditions require periodic review. If you haven’t been seen specifically for the condition related to that medication, you will be asked to return for review. Note that coming in for one problem like a blood pressure check, does not mean that your diabetes or asthma have necessarily been adequately reviewed.

You may be asked to come back in if

• Your medical condition has not been reviewed within the past six months (or whatever period your doctor thinks is appropriate)
• Your regular doctor is not available and the other doctors are not comfortable writing a script without seeing you because they don’t know you and your condition well enough
• You are asking for an addictive, dangerous, controlled or easily misused medication
• You are asking for a medication that we don’t feel is appropriate to prescribe without first assessing you.

• Writing a script should never be a casual exercise. Even if it looks like your doctor is dashing off a script, they are actually thinking carefully about the medication’s appropriateness, side effects, interactions with other medications, allergies, monitoring of the medication or underlying condition, interaction with other conditions you have, whether it is time to try weaning off the medication, newer alternatives and a host of other questions.
• So whenever we write a repeat script, we are actually reviewing your file and thinking about those issues which takes considerable effort. Our doctors need to be remunerated for the time, effort and expertise that they expend on that exercise.
• We must also account for the receptionist’s time in notifying patients of the outcome of their script requests, faxing requests to the pharmacy, postage for mailing the hard copy scripts and pay the website for every request.
• The cost for online scripts is $18 per request (not per medication. If you ask for more than one medication at a time, the fee is the same.)
• Please note that there is no Medicare rebate for online consultations or treatment.
• If we are unable to provide the script you have requested we will refund the amount paid, but this will take a few days.
• We hope you recognise that the convenience of not needing to come in, being able to request a script at any hour and the time you save is worth the cost incurred.

You can ask, but please understand that in nearly all cases this will be declined. This service is to provide additional convenience for patients but does impose additional work on our staff.

Most of our doctors do not consult every day and therefore will not attend to your request immediately. You can expect in most cases that it will take 72 hours for the script to be ready. If your doctor is on leave, or particularly busy seeing patients in consultations, this may take longer.

The next time you see your doctor, you should discuss what they feel is their likely time frame. If you need a script in a shorter time-frame, we suggest you make an appointment.

You may request a referral for an existing relationship with a specialist. For example if you see an eye specialist or heart specialist every year and they require a new referral you may request this. The referral will still be subject to your doctor deciding if it is appropriate to write this without seeing you first.

If you are asking for a referral to a specialist you’ve not seen before or to an existing specialist for a new problem, you must come in to be seen and assessed. Surprisingly often patients think they need to see a specialist when it something we can manage effectively and efficiently ourselves.

Referrals incur a separate fee to repeat scripts as the work involved is quite different.

Medical certificates will normally not be written without a consultation. An exception might be an extension of a certificate for a condition for which you’ve been seen and have not recovered in the time your doctor expected. However if you aren’t getting better, perhaps you need to be seen again anyway!

Probably the best place to address further questions is with your doctor at your next consultation.