A little clarity.
A simpler next step.
Practical answers to the questions that come before your pharmacy visit.
25 guides · Australian sources · Plain EnglishPrescriptions
How to use an electronic prescription
An electronic prescription uses a token sent by SMS or email. A participating pharmacist uses it to retrieve the prescription. Keep the token private and choose the pharmacy you want to use.
Read guide PrescriptionsLost your eScript token? What to do next
For a missing original token, contact the prescriber. For a missing repeat token, contact the pharmacy that issued the repeat. Avoid creating another order just to recover a message.
Read guide PrescriptionsGetting organised for your next prescription repeat
Plan your next supply before you run out. With electronic prescriptions, the dispensing pharmacy sends a new token when repeats remain; ask it if the expected message is missing.
Read guide PrescriptionsActive Script Lists: questions to ask your pharmacist
An Active Script List is an optional way to manage electronic and barcoded paper prescriptions. Ask your pharmacist about registration, access and consent before deciding whether it suits you.
Read guide PrescriptionsUsing a paper prescription with an online pharmacy order
Ask the receiving pharmacy how to provide a paper prescription and whether it needs the original before supply. Uploading a photograph is not, by itself, confirmation that dispensing can proceed.
Read guide PrescriptionsWhat happens after a pharmacy receives your prescription?
The pharmacy reviews the prescription and the information needed for safe supply. Submission is a request for review, not a promise that a medicine is ready, approved or paid for.
Read guideFinding a pharmacy
Choosing a pharmacy that fits your needs
Compare practical details such as location, opening hours, accessibility and the services you need. Confirm important details directly with the pharmacy rather than choosing on distance alone.
Read guide Finding a pharmacyChanging pharmacies without losing track of your requests
Confirm which pharmacy is responsible for each outstanding request before switching. Keep prescription arrangements, active orders and your saved pharmacy preference separate.
Read guide Finding a pharmacyChecking pharmacy opening hours before you travel
Check the pharmacy’s current hours and contact it when timing matters, especially around public holidays. A nearby pharmacy is not necessarily open or ready to provide the service you need.
Read guide Finding a pharmacyFinding a pharmacy visit that works for your accessibility needs
Ask the pharmacy about the access or communication support you need before visiting. A short, specific conversation is more useful than assuming that a general accessibility label covers every requirement.
Read guideCollection & delivery
Click & collect: a pharmacy collection checklist
Wait until the pharmacy confirms the order is ready, then check collection hours and what to bring. An order acknowledgement alone is not a collection instruction.
Read guide Collection & deliveryPlanning a pharmacy delivery
Delivery depends on the pharmacy, the item and your address. Confirm coverage, fees, timing and receipt requirements before relying on it.
Read guideCarers & families
Collecting a prescription for someone else
Agree the arrangement with the patient and pharmacy first. Ask what consent, identification or prescription information the pharmacy needs for that particular collection.
Read guide Carers & familiesMaking a medicine list useful for a pharmacy visit
Bring a current list of what you use and the questions you want answered. Include non-prescription products and supplements so the pharmacist can discuss the whole picture with you.
Read guideMedicine costs
PBS and private prescriptions: questions about the price
The PBS subsidises eligible prescription medicines. Ask the pharmacist whether your prescription is being supplied under the PBS or privately and what you will pay before proceeding.
Read guide Medicine costsKeeping track of PBS Safety Net spending
The PBS Safety Net may reduce eligible medicine costs after the relevant annual threshold is reached. Ask your pharmacist how to record eligible spending, especially if you use multiple pharmacies.
Read guide Medicine costsKeeping useful pharmacy receipts and order records
Keep itemised receipts and order confirmations separately. A confirmation shows a request was recorded; a receipt records a payment, and may still not establish eligibility for a rebate or claim.
Read guideUnderstanding medicines
Generic and brand medicines: what to ask
A generic medicine has the same active ingredient as the original medicine, but other ingredients may differ. Ask the pharmacist whether substitution is suitable for your prescription and circumstances.
Read guide Understanding medicinesFinding the ingredients in your medicine
Look for the active ingredient on the label and use the Consumer Medicine Information or ask a pharmacist for further ingredient details. Brand names alone are not a reliable comparison.
Read guide Understanding medicinesHow to use a Consumer Medicine Information leaflet
Consumer Medicine Information, or CMI, explains the safe and effective use of a prescription or specified over-the-counter medicine. Use the leaflet for your exact product and discuss unclear instructions with a pharmacist.
Read guide Understanding medicinesQuestions to ask your pharmacist before you leave
Ask what the medicine is for, how to use it, what to watch for and where to get help. It is reasonable to ask for an explanation again if you are unsure.
Read guideEveryday medicine safety
Planning ahead
Planning travel when you take medicines
Check medicine rules for your destination before travelling, even if the medicine is legal in Australia. Discuss supply, documents, transport and storage with your pharmacist and prescriber early.
Read guide Planning aheadPreparing useful information for an online doctor consultation
Have your questions, current medicine information and a private place to talk ready. A consultation gives a clinician the opportunity to assess you; it does not guarantee a prescription.
Read guideUsing Pharmacia
Keep your next step clear
Return to the pharmacy that linked you here when you are ready. Confirm services and availability directly with its team.
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