How it works
How an online prescription consultation works
Prepare your medicine and health information, then speak with a GP by phone in real time. If the GP issues an electronic prescription, HerDoc can send the token by SMS or email for you to take to a pharmacy.
What happens in an online prescription consultation?
You share the reason for your request, then speak directly with a HerDoc GP in a real-time consultation. The GP asks follow-up questions, considers whether telehealth provides enough information and explains the next step. Completing a form alone does not result in a prescription.
1. Prepare before the appointment
Have the medicine label or previous prescription details available if the request concerns something you have used before. Prepare the reason for the request, your symptoms and timing, allergies, current and recent medicines, non-prescription products and supplements, side effects, relevant health changes and any monitoring information you already hold.
During intake, HerDoc carries out a Healthcare Identifier (HI) identity check and Medicare verification. You can upload relevant photos, records or documents, which are added to your HerDoc file for the GP to review before the consultation.
Do not delay urgent care while collecting information.
2. Speak with the GP in real time
The prescribing decision happens only after a direct phone consultation with the GP in real time. HerDoc launches in English and calls the Australian phone number on your file; text, email or questionnaire-only prescribing is not the model described on this page.
The GP may ask what you hope to clarify, what you have tried, who has prescribed for you before and whether your symptoms, health or other medicines have changed. They may also ask about tests, monitoring, pregnancy or breastfeeding, substance use or access to your usual care where relevant.
3. The GP assesses the request
The GP considers the information available, the risks and benefits, whether a diagnosis is clear enough and whether telehealth is a safe setting. A prior prescription, a patient request or a completed intake does not require the GP to prescribe.
Possible outcomes include:
If the GP asks you to book another HerDoc consultation after tests, monitoring or further information, you choose another appointment time. Each consultation has its own short- or long-consultation fee.
- a prescription, if the GP decides prescribing is safe and appropriate
- advice without a prescription
- a request for more information, records, tests or monitoring
- follow-up with a usual GP, specialist or another practitioner
- an in-person assessment or urgent-care direction
4. If an electronic prescription is issued
In Australia, an electronic prescription is a digital alternative to a paper prescription. One common method uses a token containing a unique barcode; the token is evidence of the prescription, not the medicine itself.
HerDoc can send the token by SMS or email. You can present or forward it to a participating pharmacy; if delivery fails or you cannot access it, email [email protected] for help with resending it to the email address or Australian mobile number on your file.
5. Taking the token to a pharmacy
A pharmacy can scan a valid token to retrieve the electronic prescription and decide whether it can dispense it. You can generally approach a pharmacy of your choice, but participation, stock, timing, dispensing decisions, delivery and charges remain pharmacy matters and can vary.
If repeats are authorised, the national electronic-prescription system can produce another token after dispensing. Whether a HerDoc prescription includes repeats, how long it remains valid and whether an early request can be considered all depend on the prescription, law and the GP’s decision.
When another form of care is needed
The GP may recommend an examination, testing, monitoring or another practitioner when online assessment is insufficient. Do not wait for a prescription appointment for severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or dangerous symptoms; call 000, attend an emergency department or seek urgent local care.
Join the HerDoc waitlist
HerDoc is preparing to launch. Join the waiting list for updates; joining does not guarantee appointment timing, prescribing or electronic delivery.
Related pages
FAQs
How does an online prescription consultation work?
Prepare the relevant details, then speak directly with the GP in real time about your request and health. The GP assesses the situation and may prescribe, give advice, request more information or recommend another care pathway.
Do I need a real-time appointment with the GP?
Yes. A prescribing decision should follow a direct consultation by an accepted real-time method, rather than only an email, text exchange or questionnaire. Pre-consult information supports the appointment but does not replace it.
Is the consultation by phone or video?
HerDoc consultations launch by phone only and are conducted in English. The GP calls the Australian phone number on your file and decides whether a phone consultation provides enough information for your request.
What information should I prepare?
Prepare the reason for your request, symptoms and timing, allergies, current and recent medicines, supplements, side effects and relevant health changes. If applicable, have the label or previous prescription details and any recent monitoring information available.
Will the GP need access to previous medical records?
They may, depending on the request and the information needed for a safe decision. The GP can review your HerDoc record, any external records already added to it and relevant photos, records or documents you upload during intake; they may still direct you to your usual practitioner if important information is unavailable.
Can I use HerDoc if this is my first appointment with the GP?
A first appointment can be used to discuss the request, but it does not promise a prescription. The GP must decide whether the real-time consultation and available information are enough, and may recommend continuity with another practitioner or an in-person assessment.
What will the GP check before prescribing?
The GP may consider the reason for the request, symptoms, relevant history, allergies, current and recent medicines, side effects, possible interactions and monitoring. What must be checked varies by person and request, and may include information not available online.
Can I request a specific medicine?
You can tell the GP privately what you are asking about and why. The GP will make an independent decision and may decline the request or discuss another next step.
Can I ask the GP to recommend an option instead?
Yes. Explain the health concern, your priorities, what you have tried and any relevant risks or preferences. The GP may discuss options, seek more information or recommend another practitioner, but no particular treatment outcome is promised.
What outcomes can follow the consultation?
The GP may prescribe, provide advice without prescribing, request information or monitoring, arrange or recommend follow-up, or direct you to another service. The outcome depends on the GP’s assessment and what can be managed safely through telehealth.
How is an electronic prescription delivered?
If the GP issues an electronic prescription, HerDoc can send its token by SMS or email. The token allows a participating pharmacy to retrieve the prescription; email [email protected] if delivery fails.
What is an electronic prescription token?
A token is a digital message or link containing a unique barcode that allows a pharmacy to retrieve an electronic prescription. It is evidence of the prescription, and it becomes unusable for that supply after a pharmacy dispenses against it.
Can I choose which pharmacy dispenses the prescription?
The national token model generally allows you to present or forward the token to a pharmacy of your choice. Check that the pharmacy accepts electronic prescriptions and can help with the prescription, because participation, dispensing and stock are outside HerDoc’s control.
What if I do not have a smartphone or cannot access the token?
You need access to the email address or Australian mobile number on your HerDoc file to receive an electronic prescription token. Tell the GP about any access problem before the consultation ends, or email [email protected] if delivery fails.
Are medicine and pharmacy costs included in the consultation fee?
A short HerDoc consultation costs $49 and a long consultation costs $95, with each consultation charged separately. Pharmacy dispensing, supply and related charges are separate; see the pricing page for more information.