• Your own local GP may offer telehealth appointments as part of their routine services- if so, you maybe able to get bulk-billed, or access a Medicare rebate for some of the telehealth consultation cost. It is worth finding out if this option is available to you. However, many local GP clinics have long waiting times, and it can be difficult to get an online appointment for urgent issues, or if you need one the same day.
• With Qoctor the online doctor, you can book a same day consultation with an experienced AHPRA-registered doctor online, 365 days a year, wherever you are in Australia. It is a particularly useful option if local clinics are booked out. Opening hours are 8AM to midnight on weekdays, and 9AM to 10PM on the weekend. Customer service is available daily via live chat- our Melbourne based team will get back to you quickly if you have any questions.
• Whilst Qoctor is a private service, the fees are affordable, starting at $14.99 for a single, same day medical certificate consultation. This is much less than the “gap fee” now charged in many GP clinics.
• With Qoctor, it is possible to speak to a doctor about a health issue or symptom, request a medical certificate, a carer’s certificate, a specialist referral letter, a pathology referral, an asthma/allergy action plan, a prescription and much more.
• For any long term or complex issues, we strongly encourage patients to see their regular doctor where possible- as it is best to have the continuity of care. If you see a Qoctor doctor online but want your GP to be kept in the loop, we are happy to provide you with a summary or letter to take with you on your next visit, if you wish.

Intending to see a doctor online in Australia? Some important things to bear in mind:

• For medicolegal reasons, you do need to be physically in Australia at the time of  your online assessment.
• The doctor should be AHPRA registered- you should be able to easily check their number on the AHPRA website
• The practitioner should be clear whether they are a doctor, a nurse, or other practitioner- some low quality providers are intentionally unclear about this.
• Your privacy and confidentiality should be respected by the provider at all times (at Qoctor we are committed to this). The experience should feel as professional as what you’d expect from an in-person assessment.
• Video call is deemed the gold standard for telehealth, by the Australian medical board. However a telephone call is acceptable in some cases. Low quality websites that only communicate via SMS or online questionnaires are sub-standard, and in many cases may not be fully insured. 

Book an online doctor appointment <here>.

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Telehealth assessments are also available for conditions such as suspected UTI, sore throat, sinusitis. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and will go through your medical history. If a prescription is recommended, this can be sent electronically to your pharmacy, via our Pharmacy Concierge Service- we can coordinate getting your script to your local pharmacy immediately, we’ll check their stock and we’ll contact you once it’s ready to be dispensed. Alternatively you can have a paper prescription sent by Australia Post to an address or pharmacy of your choice. Qoctor can also deliver certain medications directly via post from our Australian partner pharmacies- this will be shown as a delivery option where applicable, and includes the contraceptive pill, medication for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, jet lag, delaying a period, premature ejaculation, genital herpes, bacterial vaginosis and chlamydia treatment. 

Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment. 

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• • Standard shipping (5-7 business days) costs $11.99
  • Express post (1-2 business days) costs $14.99- note, Australia Post is not necessarily able to guarantee these delivery timelines at present.
  • Our Pharmacy Concierge Service fee is less than standard delivery, at $8.99, and means we will immediately send your prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, so you can have your medication in your hands within a few hours. As postal delivery has been less reliable in recent times, we recommend this delivery option.

Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.

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If a prescription is issued by the doctor:

• • you can choose to have a paper prescription posted to you (Australia Post standard delivery $11.99, express delivery $14.99) OR
  • For some treatments you can choose to get the actual medication (tablets) posted to you- this includes the contraceptive pill, treatment for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, genital herpes, chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, jet lag, hair loss or to delay a period (Australia Post standard delivery $11.99, express delivery $14.99) OR
  • Alternatively, instead of having medication delivered, you may prefer to try our Pharmacy Concierge Service as a faster and cheaper delivery option. For $8.99 delivery fee, we can send a prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, so you can have your prescription in your hands within a few hours.  This is the most popular delivery option due to speed and cost.

Please note that Australia Post delivery times have become less predictable. In the past, standard delivery was usually said to take 5-7 business days and express delivery was said to take 1-2 days, however these times may vary from time to time. Check the Australia Post website for further information relating to expected delivery times in your state/territory.

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If you are having a telehealth appointment and a prescription is being discussed, the doctor will usually advise you how many repeats they are intending to include. If you are unsure, just ask the doctor.

In Australia, most prescriptions stay valid for 12 months from the original date of issue. After that, any repeats that have not been used up will expire- i.e. the prescription is no longer active or useable. You need to have a consultation with a doctor to arrange any further prescriptions.

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Also, please be aware that if you got the original (paper) prescription posted to you, or sent to your local pharmacy using the Pharmacy Concierge Service, then any repeats the doctor included at the time would have been present on that prescription. Qoctor does not retain the prescription or the repeats- i.e. the repeats will NOT be available to activate via your Qoctor account, as they are on the original script. Instead, check the paper prescription if you still have it, or speak to your pharmacist if they have retained the prescription for you.

All prescriptions expire after 12 months, and in this case, a new doctor’s appointment is always needed if you want to access a further prescription.

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