Getting a prescription through SAS-B
How a prescription for an unapproved medicine works in Australia: the TGA application, what the prescriber assesses, state approvals, timing, what happens after approval and the costs.
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Patient guides
The logistics nobody explains at the appointment
How a TGA Special Access Scheme application gets from a consultation to the pharmacy. When to book a review. What the date on an approval letter actually means. What a prescription monitoring record shows. Where you stand at a roadside test, what to carry when you travel, what changes when you move state, what happens when the pharmacy runs out, what carries over when your Clinician changes, what your approval covers and what you agree to on a consent form. Eleven guides, for people starting out and for people already under treatment.
Every guide cites its sources and carries the date it was last checked against them.
All guides
Renewing your prescription by telehealth
Why a renewal means a review appointment rather than a form, the two dates that set your timing, how far ahead to book and what to have ready.
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Your approval and when it expires
What a Special Access Scheme Category B approval is, who holds it, how long it runs, what happens at expiry and how a renewal application works.
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Driving and your prescription
The state-by-state position on driving, roadside testing, and what a prescription does and does not do for you at the roadside.
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Travelling with your prescription
Domestic flights, state borders, going overseas and coming back. What to carry, who to check with and where the rules change.
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Real-time prescription monitoring
What SafeScript, QScript and the other state systems record, who can see it, where checking is required and how to see your own record.
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Moving interstate with your prescription
What happens to your TGA approval, state permits, pharmacy dispensing and your monitoring record when you move, and what to tell your clinic.
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When the pharmacy cannot supply
What an out-of-stock notice means, why the pharmacist cannot swap the product, what your Clinician can change and when a new TGA approval is needed.
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When your Clinician changes
Why a new Clinician in the same clinic applies for a new TGA approval, what stays on your record, what state rules add and which dates to give the clinic.
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What your approval covers
Who an SAS-B approval names, what it covers, the four standard TGA conditions, who can check it and what it does not do.
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Consent forms explained
What each section of a telehealth consent form covers, what the TGA expects your Clinician to explain, what makes consent valid and how to withdraw it.
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Changing clinics, step by step
What to ask your current clinic for, what your new Clinician needs, why a new approval is sought, and how to avoid a gap in supply.
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SAS-B approval or script?
The difference between the TGA approval and the prescription, who holds each one, and why a pharmacy needs both before it dispenses.
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Declined at intake: what to do next
Why a clinic may decline at screening or consultation, what you can ask for afterwards, and where to go from there.
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What your clinic shares with your GP
When a telehealth clinic shares information with your GP, what needs your consent, and how My Health Record and prescription monitoring fit in.
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Raising a concern about a clinic
Start with the clinic, then the health complaints body in your state or territory, AHPRA, the TGA or the privacy regulator, depending on the concern.
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Getting ready for your first consultation
A checklist of what to have ready before a first telehealth consultation: ID, Medicare details, your current medicines, records and a private space.
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When your clinic closes
What to do if your telehealth clinic closes or stops prescribing: getting your records, why a new prescriber needs a new approval, and planning your supply.
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What a telehealth clinic charges
What a consultation fee usually covers, what is billed separately, how Medicare applies, and the questions to ask so you compare like with like.
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These guides are general information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change, and the official source named in each guide is the one to rely on. Anything specific to your own care belongs in a consultation.
Related
If you are thinking about moving your care
An approval names one practitioner, so it does not travel with you when you change clinics. Our changing clinics page sets out how a transfer works and what the patient-support team requests on your behalf. The insights library covers the paperwork side: what a treatment summary is, how to get a copy of your health record, and what to ask a clinic before you book with them.
Ready to get started?
Take the first step. A simple conversation with a Clinician.
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