Doctors
How you can help your patients
As a doctor, you can help your patients by passing on the following information.
If your patient is travelling overseas, you should advise them that it is illegal to take or send PBS subsidised medicine out of Australia unless it is for their own personal use, or the personal use of someone travelling from Australia with them.
The National Health Act 1953 places a restriction on the quantity of PBS medicine that can be exported for personal use. The designated quantity can be calculated using the formula set out in section 103(4AC) of the National Health Act 1953.
Taking PBS subsidised medicine overseas
If a patient is planning to take PBS subsidised medicine overseas for their personal use or the personal use of someone travelling from Australia with them, they should:
- contact the embassy of the country they are visiting to ensure the medicine is legal there;
- carry or enclose a letter from you (detailed below); and
- leave the medicine in its original packaging.
Sending PBS subsidised medicine overseas
If a patient is planning to send PBS subsidised medicine overseas for their personal use while overseas, or for the personal use of someone travelling from Australia with them, they should:
- contact the embassy of the country they are visiting to ensure the medicine is legal there;
- enclose with the medicine a letter from you (detailed below);
- leave the medicine in its original packaging; and
- attach to their parcel a completed Customs declaration available from any post office, disclosing that the package contains prescription medicine that is for personal use.
Patient travel letter
Customs may detain any medicine it suspects is being illegally exported, so it is in your patient's best interest to provide documentation stating that it is for their personal use. For this reason your patient may request a letter from you.
To assist you, Medicare Australia has developed a template letter, “the patient travel letter” which is available below:
This letter should be printed on your own letterhead. Alternatively, a pad of the letters can be ordered from Medicare Australia.
Taking or sending non-PBS medicine overseas
Provided they are not prohibited exports, medicines that have not been subsidised by the PBS may be taken or sent overseas.
Where taking or sending non-PBS medicine overseas, a person should still
- contact the embassy of the destination country to ensure the medicine is legal there;
- carry or enclose with the medicine the following documentation:
- for non-PBS prescription medicine, a letter from their pharmacist stating the medicine has not been subsidised (please note, however, that some overseas countries will require a letter from you for any prescription medicine)
- for non-prescription medicine, the Medicine Export Declaration [PDF, 192Kb]
- leave the medicine in its original packaging; and
- if sending, attach to their parcel a completed Customs declaration available from any post office, disclosing that the package contains medicine that has not been subsidised by the PBS.
Further information
Medicare Australia conducts an ongoing communication campaign to increase awareness with the general public and Health Professionals. The key message is taking or sending PBS medicine overseas that is not for personal use or the personal use of someone travelling from Australia with you is illegal.
Medicare Australia has produced several information products, including an information sheet which is available in 17 languages. You can order resource material about taking or sending PBS medicine overseas by completing the information materials reorder form [PDF, 37Kb] or emailing odd@medicareaustralia.gov.au
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Further information on taking or sending PBS medicine overseas can be obtained by calling the Travelling with PBS medicine enquiry line on 1800 500 147 or emailing odd@medicareaustralia.gov.au.
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Last updated: 23 August, 2011