Australia Post has teamed up with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to deliver medicines via a contactless pharmacy home delivery service.
It comes after the government announcement it would allocate $25 million to fund home medicine services in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
From Monday, pharmacies will be able to offer customers free monthly delivery of under 500 grams of medication and other essential supplies using the Australia Post Express Post network, and will be able to claim the cost through a government rebate.
Australia Post says the new delivery option is designed to support vulnerable Australians, including those isolating themselves at home, people over 70 and people with chronic health conditions.
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the initiative showed the important role Australia Post played in the community.
“Its extensive postal network will now support Australians to safely access their PBS medications over the coming months,” he said.
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Australia Post, Christine Holgate, said the arrangement would also help pharmacies continue to trade.
“Australia Post remains open for business during this very trying time. Our Post Offices are open and our posties and drivers are still out delivering each and every day,” she said.
Deliveries can be made to the home, or to a local Post Office or 24/7 Parcel Locker for pick-up.
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We are scheduled to have home repairs completed after waiting for 14 months from the Townsville floods. We will be required to move out of our home for approx 4 weeks into a unit. We, my husband 68, my Mum 91 years and myself 64. This is supposed to occur at the endo of this week.
I have concerns that the country will go into lock down in the middle of these repairs and we will not be able to return home. The repairs willl need to have several different trade contractors on site. We will also need to request help from family to move out and this will violate the social interaction of only 2 people.
Can you please give me an indication on what I need to do .
Anne
Hi Anne, I hope someone has helped you out, but I can see your question hasn’t been answered on here. I think you should contact your local council and police to see if they can assist, and I would think the red cross can help you in this situation too. Their phone number is 1300 885 698 .
Take care. Shae xo
Hi Peter Oldaker, here I have ABN Active and I’m courier with small vehicle that is located around the corner from the Wendouree sorting centre and I travel to Melbourne and Gippsland to Morwell and back I’m available for work to deliver essential items of the medical nature and some food items that are small packages.
I have nothing to do I understand the non contact and want to start as contractor.
I travel to Gippsland to see my doctor anyhow in Churchill to get s8 medication from a Car crash and I’m sitting here doing nothing I’m indigenous and offering to deliver medical items from Melbourne to Ballarat or Ballarat and Melbourne to Gippsland for Chemist and Hospitals and Doctors that need urgent delivery’s .
I’m available
Regards
Peter Oldaker
How do I find the link to sign up?
Hi Brigette. The Pharmacy Guild advises your first point of contact for all home pharmacy deliveries is your local pharmacy. Give them a call.
On calling my parents chemist they said that this arrangement with Australia Post is not yet in place. We can however PAY for their courier service.
I am in over 70 yrs group. How do I get my prescriptions TO the chemist in the first instance and how do I renew a repeat prescription during this crises please?
Drs can fax prescriptions to your chemist. Or I have an app, MedAdvisor, u take a photo and pharmacy receives it.
We have a P O Box can I get my medication delivered to my house?
When will this service start operating?
Making postie deliver durin this outbreak is a joke, people stay home to protect themselves but postie have to go deliver to over 1000 houses a day and knock on doors, who sneezed or spat or coffed on or near the door, mailbox earlier???
But no worries we will keep going endangering our family if we bring it home
But who cares right, I mean were only posties
Our pharmacy says S8 drugs can’t be delivered, tho saw on NSW health page they can.
Im in SA, I’m high risk, don’t want to have to go out & sign for them /pick up?
I asked at pharmacy this afternoon and he didn’t know anything about this scheme.
Is it only available in city suburban areas? I have an 80k round trip to get to a chemist. In normal times doesn’t worry me but at over 70 I would like to stay home. No grocery delivery no script delivery, how do I self isolate.
Australia Post has done a great job by teaming up with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to deliver necessary medicines to the citizens of Australia.
Auspost leaves a card in my letterbox telling me to pick up my purchased microwave oven and external hard disk drive at the post office because I wasn’t home – while I’m sitting at home waiting for the delivery, and; also while I’m in lockdown/self-isolation because I have a medical condition.