At My Chemist Online we strive to provide complete professional care .By providing us with medical
details listed in our registration form, it will ensure that we are able to identify any
potential drug, health or allergic interactions. This is compulsory for prescription
and over the counter medicine orders.
Due to Australia's present Health Scheme, different individuals may have different
entitlements to what they pay for prescriptions. Each prescription item at My Chemist Online will
show up to four different prices depending on the individual's entitlements. Below is a
description of the different prices.
PBS
These are medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and are the only medicines the government will subsidise.
The complete list can be found at
www.pbs.gov.au. These prices are set by the government and under current legislation any subsidised medicine cannot be discounted.
Prescription Record Form (PRF) stickers will be supplied with all PBS prescriptions and Safety Net Totals will be kept for patients.
Where no price appears in the PBS field, the prescription is only available as a Private Prescription.
In certain circumstances a PBS listed medicine may not be eligible to be subsidised for certain patients.
In these cases, the patient will have to pay the Private Prescription price - see Private Prescriptions below.
Private Prescriptions
Some prescriptions are not subsidised by the government, and the patient pays the full cost of the medication.
These products do not count towards the Safety Net total for the year but may be able to claim against Private Health Insurance.
Receipts will be provided for any products that may be claimed.
Under certain circumstances PBS medicines may not be subsidised by the government and in this situations, the Private price will have to be paid by the patient.
Concession Cards
(Pensioners, Health Care & Veteran Affairs card holders, CN card holders)
These cardholders will pay $5.90 for most PBS prescriptions. Small government surcharges
may occur in more expensive brands but can be avoided by selecting the generic equivalent
when prompted. Where no price appears in benefit card field, private prices will apply.
Important - All entitlement card recipients must provide photocopies of cards with first order to prevent fraud
SN Card Holders
Patients eligible for SN cards will not be charged for PBS prescriptions (unless
government surcharges apply). These patients will not be charged for postage or handling
where SN prescriptions are included in their orders. When the item is not a PBS
prescription, private prices will apply.
Important - All entitlement card recipients must provide photocopies of cards with first order to prevent fraud
Multiple Packs
Dispensing multiple packs or multiple repeats of prescription medication
Our pharmacists are eager to save you money but are ethically bound to ensure that the quantity of prescription medication you receive is both safe and reasonable. We must also comply with your doctors instructions on a prescription when it comes to dispensing repeats. Therefore the only time we can supply multiple repeats or an increased quantity is if the doctor prescribes that quantity or if the prescription is endorsed by the doctor "Regulation 24" . NB a regulation 24 prescription can only be done on an original script and not a repeat. If the doctor has not indicated that a larger quantity can be dispensed we will supply only one repeat and refund the difference. Eg If your prescription is written out for 30 Tablets with 5 repeats and it does not have "Regulation 24" written on the script, the ONLY quantity we can dispense is 30 at one time. Further dispensing of this product could only occur after an appropriate length of time - usually 21 days but this depends on dosage. In this example if you would like to obtain 180 Tablets then the doctor must endorse the prescription "Regulation 24" or the quantity must be written out for 180 and not 30. We can no longer accept signed authority forms from your doctor as permission to dispense more than one pack.
It should also be noted that if you order any prescription item as Private, NO PBS stickers will be issued and it will not count towards your Safety Net total for the year. Once any prescription order has been sent the product cannot be returned for a refund even if your doctor changes your medication or you have an adverse reaction.
Please contact our pharmacists on 1300 367 283 for more information.
Repeats
Patients may elect to have repeats filed with My Chemist Online for future dispensing. This will
allow for immediate processing and dispatch after order is placed and paid for. All repeats will be displayed in your account to keep track of your prescriptions.
Restrictions
Only prescriptions written by registered Australian Doctors can be dispensed. Refrigerated lines cannot be supplied. Overseas customers can purchase products except prescription lines. We reserve the right to refuse supply of any goods we feel may contravene our professional obligations.
Due to government regulations, faxes or emails of prescriptions cannot be dispensed.
Generics
My Chemist Online is interested in saving our customers money. Where equivalent less expensive
brands exist, you will be asked if you would like us to substitute with these. These
brands are in no way inferior in quality or strength, but are less expensive due to the
companies being more competitive in pricing. In many cases, the same companies make both brands!
Prescription Codes
The following is a list of definitions to determine pricing of prescriptions. As different
people are eligible for different pricing (i.e. through entitlement cards), we have
devised a system to show the different prices. When you select a prescription item, you
will be given four different prices to choose from depending on your individual
circumstance.
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private prescription. No government subsidy, with the customer to pay full cost of medication. Anyone with a prescription may pay this price. |
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price that is set by the government on the National Health Scheme. PRF stickers are provided and can be recorded on Safety Net Card.
(A) - When this appears after a prescription an authority is required from the government for the PBS price. |
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entitlement cards only (i.e. pensioners, health care cards, veteran affairs cards, CN cards (safety net cards) A photocopy of the original card must be supplied with patients first order to validate entitlement. |
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SN cards only (i.e. safety net cards issued for entitlement card holders on reaching safety net limits set by the government). See Safety Net below. |
Safety Net
If you and your family require large amounts of National Health Scheme prescriptions in
any one-year, a Safety Net threshold exists to protect you financially. Once this
threshold is reached you can apply for a Safety Net card enabling you to receive PBS
prescriptions at cheaper or no cost. A family can include:
- A spouse or de facto spouse
- Children under 16 in your care; and
- Full-time dependent students under 25.
To be eligible for the Safety Net, you must keep a total of your PBS prescription
expenditure. As individual pharmacies are not linked, records are only kept for
prescriptions dispensed in each pharmacy. At My Chemist Online we will keep records of all PBS
prescriptions dispensed by us for Safety Net purposes. If you use different pharmacies
(including hospital pharmacies) you should keep your own prescription record form.
Safety Net Threshold
The levels for 2013 are:
General Patients: $1,396.60*- a safety net card will be issued allowing PBS prescriptions to be charged at $5.90* each for the rest of the calendar year
Concession Card Holders (pensions, health care card, veteran affairs etc) 60 prescriptions - a safety net card will be issued allowing PBS prescriptions to be free* for the rest of the calendar year.
*These figures are adjusted annually and do not include a surcharge for the more expensive alternative brands/medicines.
If you require more information about Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme:
Phone 1800 020 613
Email
pbs.enq@hic.gov.au
Internet site
http://www.hic.gov.au
