How do I request a prescription?

How to request a prescription online in Australia

To request a prescription online in Australia, book a telehealth consultation with an AHPRA-registered clinician. They will assess your symptoms, review your history through Abby AI, and decide whether prescribing is clinically appropriate. If it is, you will receive an electronic prescription as a token by SMS or email within minutes. A prescription is never available — your clinician's clinical judgement comes first, and some medications need an in-person review.

What does the consult involve?

The consult is a real clinical conversation, not an online form. You will be asked about your current symptoms, how long they have been going on, your relevant medical history, allergies, and any medications you are already taking. If this is a new request, your clinician may ask for additional information — recent blood pressure readings, a photo of a rash, or recent pathology. If it is a continuation of something you have been on, the conversation is shorter but no less careful.

Abby AI, our medical decision-support tool, surfaces your prior consults and any prior prescriptions before the consult begins, so your clinician arrives in context rather than starting fresh. The clinical decision belongs to your clinician — Abby AI does not prescribe.

What can be prescribed in an online consult?

Most everyday prescription medications can be assessed and prescribed online. Examples include therapies for blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, type-2 diabetes, asthma, contraception, mental-health maintenance, gastro-oesophageal reflux, common skin conditions, and short-course antibiotics where clearly indicated. For the full picture, see what medications does Abby prescribe.

Some medications cannot be safely started online and need an in-person GP or specialist — for example, controlled drugs, stimulant ADHD medications, benzodiazepines, and Z-drug hypnotics. Your clinician will explain why and point you to the right pathway. Read more in what Abby can and can't prescribe online safely and can I get painkillers, ADHD medication or sleeping pills.

How will I receive my prescription?

You will receive an Australian e-script — a digital prescription delivered as a QR-code token by SMS or email within minutes of the consult ending. You can show the code at any pharmacy, forward it to one that delivers, or store it in an Active Script List. The format is interoperable, governed by the Department of Health's electronic prescribing framework — see health.gov.au — and works at any approved Australian pharmacy. For more on tokens, see how do e-scripts work.

What if my clinician decides not to prescribe?

If prescribing is not the right next step, your clinician will say so directly and offer the next best option. That might mean an in-person referral, a non-medication-first approach (physiotherapy for a musculoskeletal issue, lifestyle and counselling for sleep difficulty), pathology before deciding, or a specialist review. Your appointment is still bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card — the consult is a clinical service, not a transaction for a script.

This is what safe prescribing looks like in primary care, and it is what the AHPRA Code of Conduct and the RACGP standards require of every clinician. Our clinicians' registrations are listed on the AHPRA register.

Can I request a repeat prescription online?

Yes. If you have an existing medication that is working and your clinician is comfortable with the assessment, a repeat can be issued as a fresh e-script. Abby is built for ongoing care: 71% of patients return to the same clinician on their next visit (Abby Health internal data, Q1 2026), which means repeat decisions usually happen with someone who already knows your history. For the full repeats process, see how do I get a repeat prescription and repeat prescriptions online explained.

What does it cost?

The Abby consult is bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card — that means no out-of-pocket fee for the appointment itself. The medication is paid for at the pharmacy. Many medications are subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme; the schedule is published by the Department of Health. The MBS items that cover telehealth consultations are listed at MBS Online.

How Abby can help

If you need a prescription today, an Abby clinician can usually see you in minutes through the First Available queue. Start at abbyhealth.app/services/prescriptions or read the broader hub at how to get a prescription online in Australia. Abby appointments are bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card.