How it works
Getting a repeat prescription online through NewDoc takes under 15 minutes. You book a telehealth consultation with one of our AHPRA-registered GPs, discuss your medication needs via video or phone call, and if your doctor approves, your electronic prescription is sent directly to your phone as an eScript. You can then present this at any pharmacy in Australia or order your medication for home delivery.
NewDoc consultations are bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders, which means there is no out-of-pocket cost for the consultation itself. Unlike some telehealth providers, we do not charge an additional fee for the prescription. It is included as part of your consultation.
What medications can be prescribed?
Our GPs can issue repeat prescriptions for a wide range of medications used to manage ongoing conditions, including treatments for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, allergies, contraception, skin conditions, mental health, and many others.
All prescriptions are issued at the clinical discretion of the consulting GP. Our doctors follow the same prescribing standards as your regular in-person GP, including checking your My Health Record where appropriate.
There are some medications that cannot be prescribed via telehealth under Australian law. These include Schedule 8 controlled substances (such as oxycodone, morphine, dexamphetamine, and fentanyl) and Schedule 4D restricted substances (such as benzodiazepines, zolpidem, and pregabalin). If you require these medications, your GP will advise you to see your regular doctor in person.
Why choose NewDoc for your repeat scripts?
NewDoc is different from many telehealth providers in Australia in several important ways.
All consultations are conducted by fully qualified General Practitioners who hold Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). We do not use nurse practitioners for consultations. This matters because GPs have broader prescribing authority and deeper clinical training for complex medication decisions.
There are no hidden fees. Some telehealth services charge $14.90 or more as an add-on for prescriptions or certificates on top of the consultation fee. At NewDoc, your prescription is part of the bulk billed consultation. You pay nothing if you are eligible.
Your eScript is sent instantly after your consultation. There is no waiting period and no need to visit a pharmacy to collect a paper prescription. The eScript contains a QR code that any Australian pharmacy can scan to dispense your medication.
What to have ready for your consultation
A little preparation can help your online GP make safe prescribing decisions and keep the consultation efficient. Before your appointment, gather the following where possible:
Your current medication list or the packaging of the medication you need a repeat prescription for. This helps the GP confirm the correct drug, dose, and number of repeats. If you have access to your My Health Record, it can provide a useful summary of your recent prescriptions and dispensing history, so having your myGov login details on hand may be helpful.
If your medication requires monitoring — for example, certain blood tests for thyroid or cholesterol treatments — having recent results available allows the GP to review them during the consultation. If you do not have recent results, the GP may issue a blood test referral as part of your same day prescription consultation.
Finally, know which pharmacy you would like to use. Your eScript can be presented at any pharmacy in Australia, but if you prefer a particular one — or plan to use a pharmacy delivery service — it helps to have that in mind. You will also need your Medicare card number to ensure your bulk billed telehealth consultation is processed correctly.
Who is eligible?
To have your consultation bulk billed, you need a valid Medicare card and must be located in an eligible area under current Medicare telehealth provisions. Most of Australia is covered. You can check your eligibility when you make a booking through our platform.
If you are not eligible for bulk billing (for example, overseas visitors or patients in non-eligible areas), a private consultation fee of up to $64.50 applies for a 10-minute appointment.
Understanding eScripts in Australia
An eScript — short for electronic prescription — is a digital version of a traditional paper prescription. When your online GP issues an eScript, you receive an SMS or email containing a unique token and QR code. You can present this at any pharmacy in Australia, either on your phone screen or as a printout, and the pharmacist scans it to dispense your medication.
eScripts are the standard for repeat prescriptions issued via telehealth in Australia. They remove the need to collect or store paper scripts and make it straightforward to fill your prescription at whichever pharmacy is convenient — including those that offer home delivery.
Each eScript has a validity period set by the prescribing GP. For most medications, an original prescription is valid for 12 months from the date it is written. If your GP authorises repeats, each repeat eScript is sent to you individually once you have dispensed the previous one. You can track and manage your active prescriptions through the Active Script List, which participating pharmacies can access with your consent.
It is worth understanding the difference between an original eScript and a repeat eScript. The original is the first supply of a medication, while repeats allow you to obtain additional supplies without a new consultation — provided your GP has authorised them. When all repeats have been used, you will need a new consultation to receive a same day prescription for continued treatment. You can book a telehealth appointment with a NewDoc GP to have this renewed.
The Active Script List is a national service that stores your eScripts digitally, so you do not need to keep track of individual SMS tokens. When you visit a pharmacy, the pharmacist can look up your available prescriptions through the Active Script List with your permission. This is particularly useful if you manage multiple medications or have repeat prescriptions across different conditions.