bqjt Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Not sure if this has been covered here already, so apologies in advance if it has. We are due to emigrate to Melbourne later this year. My OH has to take a tablet everyday to keep the Thyroid function in check. NHS provides repeat prescriptions at no cost, plus a blood test every 6 - 9 months to assess the correct dose. Question is, when we are Melbourne, can we get on a similar programme ? Any pointers / help is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time in reading and responding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 You will have to pay for your thyroxine but it's only about $30 for 200 tablets so not much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Your GP will prescribe and you will pay for the medications each month - capped at $32ish for each med each month. He could take his current prescription when he signs up with a GP but they may put him on different meds if they don't have the same one that he currently has on the PBS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Thyroxine comes in a box of 200 so if you only take one tablet a day it only costs about $30 for 6 months. It is called eutroxsig here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bqjt Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Thanks for the responses guys. Very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Thanks for the responses guys. Very helpful. To clarify a bit of Australian jargon... The "PBS" (Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule) is basically a list of state subsidised medicines. Most every day prescription only medicines are included in this list. If something is not on the PBS, you pay the full price for the item. Medicines are individually priced in Australia, so unfortunately some will cost a lot more than others. My personal opinion is that health care here is a mixed bag. The facilities are generally good and level of care is high, but the whole Medicare experience is wrapped up in unnecessary bureaucracy, as in fact are a lot of things in Australian life - doing something simply is not the Australian way! The PBS is a good example, as is paying $80 to $150 (depending on length of appointment) to see your GP, then getting half of it refunded back the same day. Why not just charge half? Or even better why charge at all? To take complexity to the next level, involve a private health insurer, who will only pay for a percentage of things not covered under Medicare. I had BUPA in the UK and when I needed them I just signed a couple of forms and that was the end of it. Not so here. To answer your question on repeat prescriptions, it's normal here to get a prescription (or "script" as they call it) with five repeats (so equivalent to six month's supply). You keep hold of this and take it to the pharmacy when you need more drugs, and the pharmacy will issue you with an updated version showing the number of repeats left. Once you've used up your repeats, you normally need to go back to the GP to have a new prescription reissued. This could coincide with a normal checkup ($80) or you can visit the GP during "script time" - i.e. lunchtime, where they'll provide you with a new prescription without getting in to a wider discussion about your health. This service will normally be "bulk billed" - i.e. the GP bills Medicare directly so you don't need to make any payment. Some GPs do bulk billing for normal appointments (i.e. no out of pocket), but it's generally a very rushed service and normally only in the less affluent areas. Best avoided really, for the sake of $40. The bureaucracy will definitely drive you mad if you're from the UK. The NHS has its faults, but at least their bureaucracy is back-office and not patient facing. Medicare bureaucracy isn't even than bad by Australian standards - immigration, local councils, banks and even opening an online account with a bookies are much worse. To give an example, Betfair required me to post them a form signed by the police or a judge to verifiy my identity for a $50 bet on the Melbourne Cup! You get used to it after a while. Nothing is easy here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I was going to ask this question eventually so im glad someone else asked first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 This is about the cheapest chemist you will find. Put the name of what your taking in the box and it will tell you how much they charge. Some small pharmacies charge loads more for the same prescription. It says online but same price in shops http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/prescriptions.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelensvaleHoward Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I don't mind the system here tbh My Dr bulk bills not a rushed appointment by any means and not in a poor area I keep my prescriptions at the chemist I use and use an app on my iphone to order when I require them and when I go to pick them up all ready just to pay I just picked up our meds for the whole family for the month and it was under $50 for 6 items Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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