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Online prescriptions Australia: eScript to your phone

Book online and an AHPRA-registered GP assesses you by video or phone, anywhere in Australia, seven days a week. When a medicine is clinically appropriate, your eScript arrives by SMS within minutes, and the consultation is bulk billed with $0 out of pocket for eligible Medicare cardholders.

How do online prescriptions work in Australia?

You book a consultation, and an AHPRA-registered GP assesses you by video or phone. If a medicine is clinically appropriate, the GP prescribes it during the consultation and the eScript token arrives on your phone by SMS within minutes.

You can fill the eScript at any Australian pharmacy, including pharmacies that offer home delivery. The consultation is bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders, with the eScript included at no extra charge.

Quick answer: how do you get a prescription online in Australia?

Prescription medicines in Australia always require a consultation with an authorised prescriber, such as a GP. A telehealth GP consultation satisfies that requirement entirely online. You book, the GP assesses you by video or phone and, when clinically appropriate, sends an eScript to your phone by SMS. That covers new medications after a proper assessment as well as ongoing medications, though some medicine classes carry extra rules, covered in the limits section below. Every NewDoc consultation is with a fellowed specialist GP (FRACGP or FACRRM), it is bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders, and the median booking-to-consult wait was 5.0 hours per NewDoc April 2026 utilisation data.

How eScripts work

An eScript is the electronic form of a prescription, and it is now the standard way Australian GPs prescribe. Healthdirect describes it as a digital version of a paper prescription: instead of a printout, you receive an SMS or email containing a link to a unique QR code, called a token. The pharmacist scans the token, dispenses the medicine, and if the GP has authorised further supplies, the pharmacy sends you a fresh token after each dispensing. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing runs the national framework behind the system.

  • Show it at any pharmacy. Community pharmacies across Australia dispense eScripts. Present the token on your phone screen at the counter, or print it if you prefer paper.
  • Use an Active Script List if you take several medicines. A pharmacy can set up an Active Script List for you, which keeps your active tokens in one place so the pharmacist can retrieve them with your consent instead of you juggling individual SMS messages.
  • Have it delivered. Many pharmacies offer home delivery: forward the token to the pharmacy and the medicine can be sent to you, which helps when you are unwell, remote, or without transport.

What can be prescribed online

An online GP can prescribe both new and ongoing medications. The pathway is the same either way: an assessment first, then an eScript when the GP judges a medicine clinically appropriate. For a new medication, the GP takes a history, asks about allergies and the other medicines you take, and only prescribes when it is safe to do so without a physical examination. Every NewDoc consultation is with a fellowed specialist GP (FRACGP or FACRRM), applying the same prescribing standards as a local general practice.

If you are stable on a medication you already take and simply need it continued, that faster renewal pathway has its own page: see repeat prescriptions.

Which medicines have extra limits online?

Not every medicine can be started in a first telehealth consultation. Two groups carry extra rules:

  • Medicines with special monitoring or authority requirements. Some medicines need structured monitoring, specialist involvement, or an authority approval before they can be prescribed, and the safest pathway may run through your regular GP or a specialist rather than a one-off telehealth consultation.
  • Medicines of dependence. Strong pain medicines, sedatives and sleep medicines, and some ADHD stimulant medicines generally cannot be prescribed in a first telehealth consultation. Accessing these safely may need your regular GP, an in-person review, or a specialist.

If either group applies to you, the GP explains the right pathway during the consultation rather than leaving you guessing. The decision to prescribe always rests with the GP; no medication is guaranteed before a consultation.

New prescription vs repeat prescription

Both end in an eScript on your phone, but they are different jobs, so NewDoc covers them on two pages. This page explains how getting any prescription online works in Australia, including a first-time prescription after an assessment. Renewals of ongoing medication have their own dedicated pathway:

New prescription (this page)Renewing an ongoing medication
You have a new or changed health concern and may need to start a medication for the first time.You are stable on a medication you already take and need it continued.
The GP takes a history, asks about allergies and current medicines, and assesses whether a medicine is the right treatment.The GP reviews the medication and checks it is still working, still safe, and still the right dose.
Booked from this page, with the eScript sent by SMS within minutes when the GP prescribes.Covered on its own page: book through scripts online for the fastest renewal pathway.

Either way, whether a medicine is prescribed is always the GP's decision during the consultation, and the consultation is bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders.

Conditions where an online prescription is common

A prescription is one common outcome of an online consultation, after the GP has assessed you. Condition guides where that often applies include urinary tract infections, sinusitis, skin infections, contraception, asthma, reflux, hay fever, and thrush. Each guide covers when an online consultation is suitable and when in-person care is the safer path.

For antibiotics specifically, see can a telehealth GP prescribe antibiotics? Or browse the full conditions library.

How much does an online prescription cost?

For eligible Medicare cardholders, the consultation is bulk billed: Medicare pays the full fee and you pay $0 out of pocket. Any eScript issued during the consultation is included, with no separate per-prescription charge and no surcharge for evenings, weekends, or public holidays. Patients who are not eligible for bulk billing pay a flat private fee of $69.95 per consultation, shown before you confirm the booking.

The medicine itself is priced at the pharmacy, exactly as with any other prescription. Medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme attract the standard PBS co-payment, which is lower for concession card holders, while non-PBS medicines are charged at the pharmacy's private price. Full consultation pricing is on the pricing page.

References

This content is informational and does not replace individual medical advice. For personal assessment, book a consultation with your GP. In emergencies, call 000.

Reviewed by Dr. Jason Yu FRACGP

Last reviewed 2 August 2026. Editorial policy

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Frequently asked questions

Can I get a prescription online without seeing a doctor?

No. Australian law requires prescription medicines to be prescribed by an authorised prescriber, such as a GP, after a consultation. What can happen entirely online is the consultation itself: you talk with an AHPRA-registered GP by video or phone, and if a medicine is clinically appropriate the eScript is sent to your phone by SMS minutes later. Be cautious of any service that offers prescription medicines with no consultation at all, because that is not how Australian prescribing rules work.

How fast can I get a prescription online?

Same-day consultations are typical. NewDoc runs seven days a week, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays, and across NewDoc's April 2026 utilisation data the median wait from booking to consultation was 5.0 hours. If the GP prescribes during the consultation, the eScript usually arrives on your phone by SMS within minutes of the call ending, and you can take it straight to a pharmacy or forward it to one that delivers.

Can a telehealth GP prescribe antibiotics?

Yes, when clinically appropriate. The GP assesses your symptoms by video or phone and prescribes antibiotics only if they judge them to be the right treatment under Australian therapeutic guidelines. Conditions commonly assessed this way include urinary tract infections, sinusitis, and some skin infections. The decision always rests with the GP, and no prescription is guaranteed before a consultation. If your situation needs a physical examination, the GP will direct you to in-person care instead.

Can I get a new medication online, or only repeats?

Both. An online GP can start a new medication when the assessment supports it. The GP takes a history, asks about allergies and the other medicines you take, and prescribes only when it is clinically appropriate and safe to do so without a physical examination. Continuing a medication you already take works the same way and is usually quicker. A small number of medicine classes carry extra rules for a first telehealth prescription, and the GP explains the pathway if that applies to you.

What medicines cannot be prescribed online?

A small number of medicine classes carry extra rules. Medicines of dependence, including strong pain medicines, sedatives and sleep medicines, and some ADHD stimulant medicines, generally cannot be prescribed in a first telehealth consultation. Medicines with special monitoring or authority requirements may also need your regular GP, an in-person review, or a specialist. The GP will tell you during the consultation if your medicine sits in one of these groups and explain the safest pathway to access it.

What is an eScript, and what happens if I lose the SMS?

An eScript is an electronic prescription delivered as an SMS or email containing a link to a unique QR code, called a token, which a pharmacy scans to dispense your medicine. If you delete or lose the message, contact NewDoc and a replacement token can be arranged. If you have an Active Script List set up, a participating pharmacy can also retrieve your active prescriptions with your consent, without needing the individual SMS at all.

Can I use an eScript at any pharmacy?

Yes. eScripts are part of a national electronic prescribing system, and community pharmacies across Australia dispense them, so you can fill your prescription wherever suits you: near home, near work, or interstate while travelling. Show the token on your phone at the counter, or forward it to a pharmacy that offers home delivery. If a pharmacy does not have your medicine in stock, the token stays valid and can be used at another pharmacy.

Do online prescriptions cost more?

No. For eligible Medicare cardholders the consultation is bulk billed at $0 out of pocket, and NewDoc does not charge a separate fee for the eScript. Patients who are not eligible pay a flat private fee of $69.95. The medicine itself costs the same as with any other prescription: PBS-listed medicines attract the standard PBS co-payment, lower again for concession card holders, and non-PBS medicines are charged at the pharmacy's usual private price.

Can the GP see my regular medications?

Only with your consent and where records exist. NewDoc GPs can check your My Health Record where it is available and you have not restricted access, and it may show recent prescribing and dispensing history, though it is not always complete. An Active Script List, if you have one, is mainly used by pharmacies to manage your tokens. The most reliable option is having your medication list or packaging with you, so the GP can confirm the exact medicine, strength, and dose.

What if the GP decides not to prescribe?

NewDoc GPs prescribe only when it is clinically appropriate, and no medication is guaranteed before a consultation. If the GP decides a medicine is not right for you, or cannot be started safely by telehealth, they will explain why and outline the alternatives: a different treatment, a pathology referral to gather more information, an in-person review, or a referral to your regular GP or a specialist. The consultation is still a complete GP consultation and is still bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders.

Is the consultation bulk billed?

Yes, for eligible Medicare cardholders. Medicare pays the full consultation fee, you pay nothing out of pocket, and any eScript issued during the consultation is included at no extra charge. There is no surcharge for evenings, weekends, or public holidays. Patients who are not eligible for bulk billing pay a flat private fee of $69.95 per consultation, shown before you confirm the booking. The only other cost is what the pharmacy charges for the medicine itself.

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