Ordering pharmacist advice
medications and prescriptions
Prescriptions are required for two groups of medication:
Pharmacist Advice Medications
This medication group can normally be purchased over the counter, but
NSW regulations state that a pharmacist must personally hand the product
to the customer. For this reason we require a prescription to supply
these products to you by mail.
Prescription Medications
This medication group requires a prescription when dispensed in Australian
pharmacies.
To order prescription medication we need your Original prescription
(including the duplicate) mailed to us (faxes can not be accepted).
These are government regulations and we are required to adhere to them
in all instances. If we do not receive your prescription within three
days of receiving your order, we will give you a reminder phone call.
If uncontactable via phone, we will then email you and allow seven days
prior to assuming you no longer require the item(s).
We are able to keep your repeats on file to make it easier for you
on your next order, simply check the appropriate box when you order.
This will allow for immediate processing and dispatch after your order
has been placed and paid for.
When ordering Pharmacist Advice and Prescription Medications at Cincotta
Chemist we strive to provide complete professional care. By providing
us with your medical details listed in our Patient profile section,
it will ensure that we are able to identify any potential drug, health
or allergic interactions.
Information about prescription categories and ordering prescription
products
Due to Australia’s present Health Scheme, different individuals
may have different entitlements to what they pay for prescriptions.
Each prescription item at Cincotta Chemist will show prices for several
different categories depending on the individual’s entitlements.
Below are descriptions of the different categories and a brief description
of the PBS and Safety Net scheme:
PBS General
Most prescriptions are subsidised by the government and listed on the
National Health Scheme (NHS) prices. Where a product is on the NHS,
a price will be listed in this category field. These prices are set
by the government and under current legislation cannot be discounted.
Prescription Record Form (PRF) stickers will be supplied with all NHS
prescriptions and Safety Net Totals will be kept for patients. You will
need to keep a record of prescriptions purchased elsewhere. Where no
price appears in this field, the prescription product is only available
as a Private Prescription (see below).
Private Prescriptions
Some prescriptions are not subsidised by the government, leaving the
patient to fully pay for the item. Also, in some cases a patient can
save more money by electing not to have their prescription dispensed
as a NHS prescription but as a private prescription. Although PRF stickers
cannot be issued, many patients would not reach the safety net threshold
anyway making them irrelevant. (See Safety Net for information) As many
private prescriptions can be claimed back through Private Health Funds,
relevant receipts will be provided. Prices will be displayed for multiple
pack purchases of private prescriptions. Should you require a price
for a multiple not shown please contact us to discuss the price.
Instore prices for private prescription items may differ slightly to
our online prices.
PBS Concession
(Pensioners, Health Care & Veteran Affairs card holders, CN card
holders)
These cardholders will pay $5.00 for most NHS prescriptions. Small
government surcharges may occur in more expensive brands but can be
avoided by selecting the generic equivalent when prompted. Where no
price appears in this field, the prescription product is only available
as a Private Prescription (see above).
Important – All entitlement card recipients must provide photocopies
of cards with first order to validate entitlement. New photocopies should
be sent when new cards are issued to guarantee up to date records.
PBS Safety Net
Patients eligible for SN cards will not be charged for NHS prescriptions
(unless government surcharges apply). SN cards are only valid for items
on the PBS listed.
Important – All safety net recipients must provide photocopies
of cards with first order to validate entitlement.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Safety Net Scheme
Items on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are $31.30 and $5.00
on concession excluding and government surcharges. These PBS prices
are only available to customers with a valid Medicare Card. Some items
which are subsidised by the PBS to treat special conditions require
an AUTHORITY prescription. These items are marked with ‘Auth Req’
and require an Authority Prescription to be on PBS. If you do not qualify
for an authority script, your doctor may write a private prescription
and this is the price quoted on the website.
If you and your family require large amounts of Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS) prescriptions in any one-year, a Safety Net threshold exists
to protect you financially. Once this threshold is reached, you can
apply for a Safety Net card, enabling you to receive NHS prescriptions
cheaper or at no cost. A family can include:
• A spouse or de facto spouse
• Children under 16 in your care; and
• Full-time dependent students under 25.
To be eligible for the Safety Net, you must keep a total of your NHS
prescription expenditure. As individual pharmacies are not linked, records
are only kept for prescriptions dispensed in each pharmacy. At Cincotta
Chemist we will keep records of all NHS prescriptions dispensed by us
for Safety Net purposes. If you use different pharmacies (including
hospital pharmacies) you should keep your own prescription record form.
The Safety Net Threshold levels for 2008 are:
General Patients - $1,141.80*. A CN Safety net card will be issued allowing
PBS prescriptions to be charged at $5.00, each for the rest of the calendar
year.
Concession Card Holders (pension card, health care card, veteran affairs
cards etc) - 58 prescriptions. An SN Safety net card will be issued
allowing PBS prescriptions to be free* for the rest of the calendar
year.
* These figures are adjusted annually and do not include a surcharge
for the more expensive alternative brands/medicines.
If you require more information about Australia’s Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme:
Phone 1 800 020 613
Email hic.info@hic.gov.au
Internet site http://www.hic.gov.au
Generics
Cincotta Chemist’s main interest is in providing value and as
such we are interested in saving our customers money. Where equivalent
less expensive brands exist, you will be asked if you would like us
to substitute with these. These brands are in no way inferior in quality
or strength, but are less expensive due to the companies being more
competitive in pricing. In many cases, the same companies make both
brands!
It should be noted that some Doctor's will have "no substitution
permitted" endorsed on the script. Please check your prescription
as generics are not available in this case.
Additional Information and Restrictions
Please note the following when ordering Prescription Medications and
Pharmacist Advice Medications certain restrictions apply:
• Refrigerated lines cannot be supplied.
• Please note that by law we cannot dispense a prescription medicine
unless we have received a prescription (including the duplicate) for
that medicine. This should be posted to us (faxes can not be accepted
– this is a government regulation). To assist in processing your
order, please write your order number on the back of each prescription.
• Only prescriptions written by registered Australian Doctors
can be dispensed.
• Pharmacist Advice Medication (S3) requires a prescription to
be supplied.
• Schedule 8 Medications require a prescription written by a doctor
registered in NSW. Repeats for these items must be kept in the pharmacy
and not returned under any circumstances. These repeats can only be
dispensed at specified intervals. A reminder note will be supplied in
place of a repeat with all these relevant details – interval to
redispense and repeats remaining.
• We are required to adhere to our professional obligations and
consequently we reserve the right to refuse supply of any goods we feel
may contravene these professional obligations.
• Due to government regulations, faxes or emails of prescriptions
cannot be dispensed.
• It must be noted that in order to claim any entitlements, cards
must be valid and in date at time of dispensing.
• We cannot supply multiple quantities of PBS items unless certain
other conditions apply (e.g. a marked Regulation 24 or an Authority).
If you want multiple quantities for a special reason (e.g. going overseas)
please indicate this in the “comments field” and we will
deal with this on a case by case basis.
• We are able to keep your repeats on file to make it easier for
you on your next order, simply check the appropriate box when ordering.
This will allow for immediate processing and dispatch after your order
has been placed and paid for.
