Travelling to Australia, medicine for personal use and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

If you are travelling to Australia, either to visit or to stay, you might need to make arrangements for ongoing access to necessary medicine. If you are planning to bring medicine with you, you will need to check regulations regarding bringing medicine into Australia. If you need to obtain prescription medicine while you are here, the prescription must be written by a doctor in Australia.

Bringing medicine into Australia

If you are staying for a short time you may be able to bring sufficient quantities of essential medicine for existing medical conditions. You will need to check requirements for bringing medicine into Australia with relevant Australian government authorities, including:

• The Department of Health provides general guidance advice for bringing medicines to and from Australia
• The Australian Customs Service monitors medicine brought into Australia from other countries, including prescription medicine.
• The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service protects the Australian environment from exotic pests and diseases. Some medicinal products may require a quarantine or import permit.
• Note also that importation of many drugs described as sport performance enhancing drugs are prohibited without a permit. The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency can provide further information.

You may also need to check any regulations regarding taking medicine out of the country you are departing from.

Accessing government subsidised medicine in Australia under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) aims to provide timely, reliable and affordable access to necessary and cost-effective prescription medicine to all Australian residents and eligible overseas visitors. All medicine included on the PBS is listed in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits.

In order to obtain PBS medicine in Australia you will need a prescription written by a doctor in Australia. Prescriptions for medicine written in other countries cannot be filled in Australia.

Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) operating with the following countries: Finland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, The Netherlands and United Kingdom.

RHCA allow eligible visitors restricted access to health care services including the PBS. Medicare Australia provides further information about these agreements as well as eligibility and enrolment details.

If you are eligible and your prescribed medicine is available on the PBS you can present the prescription to an approved pharmacy and the medicine will be dispensed under the PBS.

If you cannot have the medicine filled under the PBS, a prescription from a doctor in Australia can be filled by a pharmacist as a private prescription. This may mean that the medicine is more expensive.

If you are taking medicine out of Australia, Medicare Australia provides advice on taking or sending PBS medicine out of Australia.

Last updated: 1 September, 2009