When you urgently need a prescription, your general doctor may be out of the office. Yet you may need a life-saving insulin refill or painkillers to manage your chronic condition comfortably. Regardless, receiving your prescription shouldn't require waiting until the weekend ends. That's where instant scripts come in. This way of receiving prescriptions online has revolutionized Australian healthcare. It makes treatments faster and more convenient and makes specialized doctors more accessible.
This blog post will explore instant scripts in Australia as a solution to healthcare and reveal its history.
What Are Instant Scripts?
Instant or online scripts are prescriptions you can receive from a doctor through an application. Since you may need controlled medication for your treatment, you can access permission to buy it through telehealth services. Otherwise, that service would be incomplete, as online doctors couldn't give you the means to receive your medication.
With an instant script, you can receive the following kinds of medication, among many others:
Contraception
Painkillers
Skin Products
Antacids
Cold Medicine
Why Were Instant Scripts Created?
Access to medication is crucial to your healthcare but, at times, hard to reach. Your general doctor may not have the specialization required to assess your condition and prescribe the necessary medicine. Or you may have yet to find doctors near me. Whichever the case, there's a need for instant scripts.
In 1999, the first online pharmacy opened: Soma.com. This company gave access to registered pharmacists and even had an agreement with American Medicare. Interestingly, in the same year, it opened the American company CVS bought it to kickstart its online pharmacy.
However, online medication sales weren't allowed in Australia until 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic started, there was an increased burden on healthcare systems and a need for non-COVID patients to receive care without risking an infection. Instant scripts were fast-tracked as a solution since they allowed healthcare to continue unimpeded.
Now, receiving your prescription through an online doctor can even be faster. Moreover, it gives you access to specialized doctors and other health practitioners, even in rural areas.
How You Can Quickly Receive Scripts?
If you need a prescription, you can use telehealth services to reach an online doctor who can prescribe your medication rapidly. To receive this service, you should:
1. Find an Online Doctor
The first step in quickly accessing a script is finding the appropriate health practitioner who can prescribe it. Therefore, you should ask your general doctor if they offer this service. If they don't, you can find another doctor online on the following websites:
Prime Medic
13CURE
Healthfinder
Health Engine
Health Direct
HotDoc
Then, you'll narrow your search by verifying that they specialize in your condition, accept your insurance, and have good reviews.
2. Schedule Your Appointment
Now that you've selected an online doctor, you should ask to 'see' them. Many online health professionals have after-hours services that allow you to visit them virtually at any time. So, you can choose a time that suits you best.
3. Attend Your Appointment
Once you've agreed on a meeting, you should see your doctor. Usually, your visit will happen over a conference call. It's also the best practice to visually meet your doctor since they're less likely to misdiagnose you than if you simply used a questionnaire or texts.
During this meeting, you'll explain your symptoms and medical history. You'll discuss your condition with the doctor, and they'll give you a way forward. At this point, you should ask for guidance on which treatment you have access to, the difference between them, and whether your insurance will cover its cost.
4. Receive Your Script
After your visit, your doctor will send you the prescription for the medication you need for your treatment. This will arrive as a token, QR code, link, or other type of message.
5. Pick up Your Medication
Once you have your script, you can:
Bring It to Your Pharmacy: With your phone, go to the nearest pharmacy that accepts online prescriptions. You'll send it to the pharmacist there, who'll fill your prescription.
Send It to Your Pharmacy: You can collect your medication and go to the cashier to pay for it rather than wait for the pharmacist to complete your order.
Submit It to a Delivery Company: Some businesses deliver medication in Australia. You can send them your prescription. They'll fill it and bring it to your residence.
Conclusion
Now you know that instant scripts have made receiving medication easier for Australians. Though the system is only a few years old in this country, it's been 30 years since the first online pharmacy. In these past decades, the main drive of these online businesses has been the same: Making constant healthcare accessible to you.
Your following script is just one search away. You just need to find an online doctor on websites like PrimeMedic. Night or day, they'll talk with you about your condition and possible treatments. Afterward, you'll receive your prescription, and your pharmacy will sell your medication. So, consider instant scripts next time you need a refill or a new prescription.
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