Prescription medication on the road.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Prescription medication on the road.

gst · Senior Member

Onlygoing to tell you what everyone has told you .

-- Edited by gst on Saturday 16th of February 2013 10:36:37 PM

-- Edited by gst on Saturday 16th of February 2013 10:39:10 PM

GaryKelly · Guru

I suspect this topic has been broached before. I'm on permanent heart medication, and will need to renew prescriptions on my travels. Is it difficult to see a GP without being a regular patient, just for prescription renewal and a checkup?

Boothie · Senior Member

Gary,

My mother has a usb with all that information stored on it. When she goes anywhere, it goes with her. They plug it in and bingo, all her medical history is there, prescribed drugs etc.

I need to ring her and I will ask her where she got it from. It has a green and white medical cross on it and the medical history is in the form of a word document.

Besides that, get on the road away from everything, ya gotta get better!

Boothie

GaryKelly · Guru

What took you so long, Boothie. I wrote that question 5 minutes ago.

brickies · Guru

The last trip I was away for 5 months and my Gp gave me scripts to last me 6 months I don't know if they all would do so , also I think if you have your scripts with you and took them with you to a doctor on the road they would know you are on that medication and give you the script

GaryKelly · Guru

Thanks Brickies. It's just that I know there's a shortage of docs in some rural areas. Here in Taree, most have "closed their books" and only see regular customers. When I asked my GP about it, he said "just wave $50 under their nose and they'll think it's easy money". Hehe. I dunno if he was joking or not.

Boothie · Senior Member

Gary,

I thought I was prompt. Must be getting old. Also, any prescription, except for trial drugs like things for the Spanish Dancer, are valid for one year, so any repeats are for a year.

brickies · Guru

Garry you can also go to the local Hospital to see a doctor , A mate does that sometime can take a while but can be fun watching the locals

GaryKelly · Guru

Ahhhh, yes... I was wondering about hospitals. That's not a bad idea.

Sheba · Guru

Have PM'd you Gary.

Cheers,

Sheba.

briggspc · Senior Member

GaryKelly, we have been on the road for over 2 years and it will depend on what drugs you need, if in W.A. you will find it hard if you don't have a street address as most doctors think you are doctor shopping, we found it very hard depending on what you want and were you are and it seems not to matter much no matter how many letters you have from your own doctor.

Good luck!

Oma · Guru

We have no problems with our pills. Our Dr always gets phone authorisation for regulation 24 scripts. Friends of ours (husband & wife) both went to their respective Drs for regulation 24 scripts for this trip & were refused. told only for overseas or where no chemists- they are going to Central Oz for quite a while. We also got both our records on a USb incase have to call Flying Dr or some other emergency

-- Edited by Oma on Sunday 17th of February 2013 10:12:47 AM

jimricho · Guru

Boothie wrote:
Gary,
My mother has a usb with all that information stored on it. When she goes anywhere, it goes with her. They plug it in and bingo, all her medical history is there, prescribed drugs etc.
I need to ring her and I will ask her where she got it from. It has a green and white medical cross on it and the medical history is in the form of a word document.
Besides that, get on the road away from everything, ya gotta get better!
Boothie

In addition to or instead of a USB chip or memory card you can get a printed patient summary from your doctor that you just present when you visit the away from home GP. I get one of these when I go away. I also take a supply of medications with me (see Peter_n_Margaret's post above).

lilly31 · Guru

My doctor been good she give me 6 month scripts and tell me if i have problems getting to see a doctor for scripts just to ring her and she will fax script to a chemist where i am when i am traveling . ..... But i did fine it was easy to to to see a doctor in QLD the NSW ....I have been with same doctor for 14 years and still it take at least 3 week to get to see her unless you are very sick .... Heath services is getting very bad in some places ..

GaryKelly · Guru

Thank yaz all for your contributions and assistance. I'm much the wiser now, and am confident that maintaining my supply of meds on the big lap won't be a prob. I also have my regular GP's email addy hehe... which I use very rarely and keep the messages brief... but it's a handy way to bypass reception and get to him quickly in an emergency. He's been my regular doc for 11 years. Thanks again.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

My partner needed a new prescription while we were travelling, and we got an appointment on the same day with a GP, in Katherine NT. It would have taken 3 weeks to see our GP in Canberra where we lived at the time!!. He took all his medication with him so the doctor could read the labels and ensure the correct dosage etc... no worries. Another doctor's visit became necessary in a Qld country town, took 5 days for the appointment... no worries.

I guess it might depend on how complicated you medical history might be. Good luck Gary!

Big Gorilla · Guru

With the software used by most Doctors today, they can burn you a CD of your complete medical file with that Doctor on request. A USB stick will do the same thing. This corroberates what you tell a new Doctor about the drugs you take when you are looking for new Prescriptions.. Sometimes it's difficult to find a Doctor who will see you, especially in smaller towns, in that case, go to the local Hospital. The Reg. 24 route suggested by another member is another option.

valnrob · Guru

My Doctor too will fax to a script to a pharmacy if I ring and leave fax number. Also I get a script for 6 repeats before I leave home.

brickies · Guru

If pain persist consult your Doctor isn't that what the adds say

sandsmere · Guru

We have been refused appointments at Mt.Isa ( Qld. ) .

St.Arnaud ( Vic. ) .

Tamworth ( NSW ) . The y just said . . .Go to the hospital .

several people have told us that some doctors aren't interested in seeing travellers because there is no follow-up business .

cannylass · Senior Member

A friend of mine gets her doctor to write something on the scrips and at her chemist gets all there medication in one go, for as long as they are away mostly its four months.I myself have had a problem getting my Actonal in some smaller towns so I have to make sure I get them in the larger towns and have had no other problem

brickies · Guru

If you get your scripts less than 23 days apart the further scripts don't count on safety net numbers

Duh · Guru

brickies wrote:
If you get your scripts less than 23 days apart the further scripts don't count on safety net numbers

Is that for those paying tax brickies or how often pensioners get the pensioner rebate on their scrips ?

brickies · Guru

Pensioner only pay about $5.80 per script and after so many there are free not sure what the number is , My Chemist tell me if you get all your scripts in one lot it dosen't count for your safety net which could some people from going on to the free list for the year

Landfall · Guru

It will also depend on what medications you are on.

I am on a pain killer that is a narcotic, my GP here cannot give me scripts for interstate.

He gives me a referal document stating what I am on which I just hand in to any GP or hospital.

Last year when we where in Qld and NSW I could only get one script, no repeats each visit.

This meant a packet of twenty tablets, 2 per day = 10 days, not bad money if you can get it? A visit every ten days for about three minutes.

Still, to answer your question:- No, there should not be a problem, providing you have proof of what you need from you regular GP.

Safe travelling

Ken smile