Medications
Recent Federal legislation has made some medications cheaper. You can check whether this applies to your medication here. https://www.health.gov.au/cheaper-medicines/60-day-dispensing-pbs-medicines-and-current-item-codes
Bulk billing GPs
Access to a GP who bulk bills can be a challenge in rural and regional areas. To find a bulk billing GP near you, enter your suburb into the form at https://www.hotdoc.com.au/search?filters=specialty-27%2Cbilling-mixed%2Cbilling-bulk (This leads to a form that needs the suburb put in. You can only do one suburb at a time.)
Where should I go if I am ill or injured but it isn’t an emergency?
If you or someone you know is sick but it is not a life-threatening emergency and you do not require immediate medical attention, consider the following options before going to the Emergency Department or calling Triple Zero (000).
Visit your GP for illnesses or injuries that persist and cannot be treated by over-the-counter medication.
Visit your pharmacist for common health problems such as coughs, colds or sore throats.
Call Healthdirect Australia, which is a 24-hour telephone health advice line. Healthdirect is staffed by registered nurses to provide fast, simple and expert advice on any health issue and what you should do next.
Healthdirect Australia can be used when:
- someone is sick and you're not sure what to do
- you want expert advice about a health issue and what to do next
- you need to know where to find after-hours health services or pharmacies
For more information visit www.healthdirect.org.au or call 1800 022 222
An after hours bulk billed service is provided by the National Home Doctors Service: