Telehealth prescriptions
Your doctor may prescribe medication during your telehealth appointment. Instead of giving you a paper prescription they will send your prescription to a pharmacy of your choice.
Your doctor will not be able to send your prescription to you directly over email or text message.
They can still give you a paper prescription which you can collect or have posted. They cannot give you the paper prescription if they have already sent it to the pharmacy.
Find out more about telehealth appointments.
Medications that can be prescribed
Doctors can prescribe any medication during phone or video appointments.
However, in New South Wales there are restrictions for controlled medications such as:
- strong painkillers
- stimulants
- sleeping aids
- anabolic steroids.
Choosing a pharmacy
Your doctor may be able to suggest a pharmacy, or you can look up pharmacies under find a health service.
Your pharmacist may talk to you about taking your medication, and you can ask questions like side effects or how to take them.
If they don't have your medication, they may be able to offer an alternative medicine.
Repeat prescriptions
If your prescription includes repeats, you will need to get them from the same pharmacy that dispensed your first supply.
Under Australian law, pharmacists must keep the original prescription and all repeats at the pharmacy, whether it has been sent to them by the doctor by text, email or fax, or if it is a paper prescription.
Speak to your pharmacy when you need your next repeat.
Home delivery
Most pharmacies offer home delivery to help vulnerable people. Call your pharmacy to ask.