Prescription by mail?

[Indadhanu]

Just wondering if this was even legal. A relative got a prescription by mail. Not the medication, the actual script for the medication. Would a GP do this? I thought they required a consultation, even with ongoing repeats. Is this illegal, or not? There is no travel distance or money issue, and they can visit a GP easily.

[Floweryfields]

My GP will write out scripts without an appointment as long as it's not ages since you've been and it's something he's prescribed - I am pretty sure they bulk bill medicare for the service - as it seemed so on my medicare annual statement last year. Seems all a bit dodgy to me! Just a way of making some easy money.

[BrightSparkles]

My GP did it for me when I first moved to Sydney before I could find a dr here.

[feeb]

It depends what it is for.

When I was planning on getting an IUD inserted they were going to post me the script.

[Mother Goose]

Many GP's will do it for certain medications - they can not legally do it for schedule 8 or schedule 11 medications - also known more widely as drugs of dependence. If it is a medication someone could become addicted to, they can not write it without a consultation.

Many pharmacies will deliver your medication to you if you or your GP forwards them the script. In some cases, if you are a long standing customer and always get that script filled there, they will fill it and wait for your GP to send the script or take a phone order. But it is at their discretion. The Health Insurance Commission will not pay them the medicare rebate on medication if they dispensed the medication before the date the on the prescription. Does that make sense?