prescription costs
 

Currently have a pr visa and wondering how much it will cost for the wifes medication as she has to take 3 different tablets per day.
I realise this could amount to a considerable sum over a month/year etc.
Will we get any kind of concesion cost wise?
Any help most appreciated:thumbup::thumbup:

Re: prescription costs
 

It might be an idea to give us a clue what the meds are. My beta blockers are about $11 for 3 months. My husband's meds are $135 for one month.

Re: prescription costs
 

Hi Dorothy

Wifes tablets are for high blood pressure,high cholesterol and HRT.

Re: prescription costs
 

Depends on where you get them from. Oneindependent chemist near me charges $14 for one of my meds. Another one - Amcal - charge $13. 15 minutes drive up the motorway to a Pharmacy Warehouse where they charge $6.50. If I go to the Amcal with the PW box to get a repeat, they will match the PW price (can't do it for all meds though for some thieving reason).

Tiddler needed antibiotics a few months back. Amcal charged me $12.80. Three days later I needed them, identical product and amount and they charged me $13.60. Rang PW asked how much they'd have charged - would have been $7 something, went back to Amcal with both boxes, told them about PW price and they reimbursed me the full amount I'd paid and apologised.

I only used PW unless it's an emergency. Definitely shop around.

Re: prescription costs
 

Thats interesting. I just go to my one up the road and spend a lot of prescriptions for my little girl. I will do a ring around tomoz Thanks MP. Hope your life is on the up

Re: prescription costs
 

my husband is on medication for high cholesterol is around $34 a month

Re: prescription costs
 

If you are entitled to Family Tax Benefit, and are on a low income you may qualify for a concession card. My meds which are $34.50 per bottle cost me $5.60 http://www.centrelink.gov.au/interne..._cards_hcc.htm

but of course, you are better off not being entitled to one of them as you only get one if you are on a really bad wage! :D

You can always look up prices here: http://www.pharmacyonline.com.au/ should give you an idea :)

Re: prescription costs
 

Thank god for the HCC. First born has one and instead of paying $180 for a full set of Epilepsy meds, she pays about $30.

Re: prescription costs
 

I know! Mine is a Godsend at times :D

Re: prescription costs
 

OH only pays around $30 p/m for his Epilepsy Meds & that's without the health card, which one is she taking to be that expensive.:eek:

Re: prescription costs
 

She's on 500 mg Tegretol and 100 mg Lamictal twice a day. The Lamictal is bloody expensive, even when she gets the generic. There isn't a generic Tegretol.

Re: prescription costs
 

I hear you on the price of Lamictal - OH is epileptic and is on 500mg lamictal amongst other things over the course of the day. It costs us a small fortune each month but we just appear to miss out on getting a concession card apparently. You have no choice but to pay it though as better that than the alternative!

Re the generic form of Lamictal, my husband won't get it as he read somewhere, I think it was the national epilepsy mob's magazine that there was evidence to suggest that the generic form of Lamictal might not be as effective as Lamictal itself. Probably bullshit but OH decided not to chance it.

Re: prescription costs
 

$34 per item for a month's supply usually so around $100 per month. When you hit the safety net (around $1200 from memory) then you get them at concession rates

Re: prescription costs
 

My neighbour has major health problems and takes a drug that costs $250/day, every day, so over $90k/year. As he can no longer work, and his wife looks after him, the total cost is carried by Medicare - as it should be.

prescription medication
 

can this be claimed through medicare ? :o

Re: prescription medication
 

Similar subject discussed recently so I've merged the threads - hope this helps :)

Re: prescription costs
 

if possible please also let me know that whether epilepsy medicine(tegral and lamictal) are available over the counter. Do we get a subsidy or rebate on these medicines from medicare....... would be grateful if you could elaborate au health care system and support for epileptics....

lodz of thanks in anticipation...
cheerz

Re: prescription costs
 

tegratol and lamictal require prescription. Your doc will probably give you a number of repeat prescriptions each time so you don't have to go each time to get one. I don't know the price of tegratol but lamictal is around $33 for a box.

My husband is epileptic and our experience is that there is no proper support as such. I don't know where you are planning on moving to but make sure that they have a neurologist locally before you go if you hope to have periodic reviews. Cairns didn't have one for several years, got one and lost her within about 6 months probably because the backlog and volume of work was too much for one person. The care is quite deplorable. I love Cairns though :D

Re: prescription costs
 

There's a couple of Epilepsy Organisations:
http://www.epilepsyaustralia.net/ and
http://www.epilepsy.org.au/
We have never checked them out, First Born is 'happy' with how she is, how she's medicated etc and her Neurologist has been excellent.

Re: prescription costs
 

Medication is expensive if you need it now and then but if you need a lot of meds you need to look into the Medicare safety net:

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/.../msn/index.jsp

Re: prescription costs
 

Does this include prescription costs though? I thought I read it was only Dr appointments, consultations, x rays, blood tests etc. Not the medication costs. Would be great if it included meds too. Am I reading it wrong? :blink:

Re: prescription costs
 

Bugger, no it doesn't. I meant the PBS safety net, sorry all.

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/...cripts/pbs.jsp

F**k the healthcare system here is complicated - I don't think I'll ever fully understand it.

Re: prescription costs
 

Thanks :D

Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Ive just moved to Melbourne and take regular medication for a thyroid problem. Can anyone tell me how I go about getting repeat prescriptions over here? Do I need to register with a doctor like in Uk and is there any benefits for prescriptions over here. I have been on Medicare website and searched google but struggling to find clear explanation. Any advice appreciated:blink:

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

You go to any Dr and make an appt. or see if they will see you on a walk in. You are not restricted in any way and can see that Dr again or if s/he isnt suitable go to someone else.

They will probably write a script for you there and then but may possibly want to order tests, too.

The benefit for scripts I dont know about, just take it to the pharmacist and they will fill it and tell you how much you need to pay. The amount varies for different meds and if it is on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme PBS will cost up to approx $40 I think it is. You can check the PBS online too.

I'm sure someone will give you a fuller answer soon, hope it helps

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Hi, I have a thyroid problem too.

You can go to any doctor and get a script. They will most likely do your bloods to get a good picture of what is going on with you - but they will give you a script on your first visit if you need the meds.

I had been to a few different doctors before I found one that actually listened to me, so always worth going to a couple of different ones the first few times and find one that you are comfortable with. You don't need to stick to the same one even then though, you can go to any doc whenever you like over here.

They usually give you a script that will have a repeat on it so you only need to go maybe once every 6 months - depends what dosage you need though. As for cost, chemists can vary in prices but for me my T4 meds (thyroxine) cost about $30 for a box of 100 and my T3 meds (Tertroxine) costs $33 for 100 tablets. There are no benefits on prescriptions unless you are on a very low income then you get a concession card which reduces the price to around $5.20.

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Hi,
You should read all the details about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Safety Net - as well as offering concessional prices for people on a low income they reduce the price for people who spend over a certain amount per year on medicines. If your scripts total more than $1317.20 per year you may be eligible for concessional prices (you'd need to have all your receipts etc).

This link gives a fuller explanation:

http://www.pbs.gov.au/info/about-the...le_for_the_PBS

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Note sure whereabouts in Melbourne you are but bulk billing (ie free) doctors are available here although they are getting rarer.

BB

Prescriptions for expat pensioners
 

Hi all,
Does anyone know if there is any concession on prescription prices for expat pensioners? I'm trying to talk my folks into moving over to Perth, but they have concerns over their medication and the costs involved in getting it in Australia.
Many thanks

Re: Prescriptions for expat pensioners
 

Hi there, can't give a definitive answer but a couple of points spring to mind. One, I have only just discovered that here (in Vic anyway), prescription prices vary from chemist to chemist. I've just found a cheap one! So shop around.

Also, it would depend on their visa status. I got a medicare card on temp spouse visa. My meds are insignificant and cheap. If your parents are on anything that might be expensive, do they have medical problems that might be a bar to them getting a visa?

Certainly if they head for citizenship they would get the concessions then. Not sure if not.

Hopefully someone will know and post later.

A. :)

Re: Prescriptions for expat pensioners
 

Sorry I don't know either. My guess would be that they would have a medicare card and be entitled to a concession on their meds as long as they were on the PBS list. I think in the UK though pensioners would be entitled to free prescriptions, as are children. I have to pay for my youngest sons prescriptions. My eldest has a healthcare card as he is autistic.

Re: Prescriptions for expat pensioners
 

I've merged your thread with a couple of recent ones as there are some links here that might help :)

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Hi All !!

Just read through this thread so I think I now understand correctly how all this works. We have only been here 7 weeks, registered at the docs today. We are all in good health :fingerscrossed: so not many issues apart from myself. I'm on blood pressure tabs, 2.5 mg.

When I popped into the docs I asked how much prescriptions are, receptionist said it's $67 for the consultation........as we have medicare sorted out i presume that we can claim back the $67 and i just pay for my tabs at the chemist?? I still have a months supply left so have a few weeks to figure it all out.

Thanks in advance :blink:

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

You presume wrong

You will get some of it back...about half.

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Really?? Oh well, lets hope they prescribe more that 1 month at a time!! Could be very expensive otherwise..............:ohmy:

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

You can claim back a portion of the GP visit from Medicare. The prescription is usually covered by PBS and has a maximum price that it is payable by the consumer. We did some comparison shopping and found out we can save around $80 a month by having our prescriptions filled at Chemist Warehouse.

If you go to the Chemist Warehouse website for the PBS website and type in your drug name you can find out how much you have to pay out of pocket at the chemist and the PBS website usually says what the maximum number of repeats are available for the drug as well.

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

Thanks :thumbsup:

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

You should get repeat scripts. The doc can issue up to 6 months at a time, in 1 month lots. Every month you fill the script the chemist gives you a new one for the repeat, until you have had 6 months' worth. Then you go back to the doc.

Re: Advice needed on prescriptions
 

My doctor prescribes my heart meds with enough repeats to last a year. Prescriptions are valid for 12 months.