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Do you have  a pre-existing health condition?

If you are enrolling at ANU on a student visa and you are eligible for Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) you should be aware that for a pre-existing medical condition your OSHC  may not cover you for the first 12 months of your time in Australia.  You will normally  have a 12 month waiting period before you can make any claims relating to your ongoing medical condition. This is standard insurance practice.

If you have a chronic condition we suggest the following steps:

Prior to leaving home visit: the Therapeutic Goods  and Administration to ascertain if you can obtain your current medication in Australia   
 your doctor and request medical reports to bring with you to Australia
 read information about OSHC
  
On arrival visit :the University Health Service, so that your medical condition can continue to be treated appropriately
 register with  the Disabilities Services Centre to ensure on  going appropriate support as needed
  

I am travelling to Australia by plane or ship and need to bring my medication with me. What do I need to do?

Provided that your medication IS NOT subject to regulation 5H (or in certain circumstances regulation 5G) of the import regulations you can bring it into Australia for the purpose of treating your own medical condition or treating a passenger who is under your care, provided that you have a prescription or a letter from your doctor to confirm that the medicine was prescribed by a medical practitioner. So that you comply with other Australian legislation covering therapeutic products you should ensure that the maximum amount of medicine you bring is equivalent to 3 months’ supply at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer. Check the Therapeutic Goods Adminsitration website to determine if your medicine may be controlled under a regulation that requires a written permit to bring it into Australia for personal use.

You cannot bring medicines that are subject to regulation 5H of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations into Australia unless you hold a permit. Medicines subject to this level of import control include anabolic steroids and some other substances.

If you intend to bring medications containing any of the substances listed on the List of Prohibited Imports, you should follow the instructions to apply for a permit.

 What should I do when I arrive in Australia with medicines for personal use?

  • Comply with all requirements of the Australian Customs Service in relation to declaring medicines you are bringing into Australia.
  • For all medicines that you are carrying, ensure that you have a prescription or written authorisation, showing that the medicine is for treatment of your medical condition. 
  •  For medicines containing a substance requiring a permission from the Office of Chemical Safety (for example anabolic/androgenic steroids) or the Therapeutic Goods Administration, produce your permit permitting you to bring the medicine into Australia.
  • For any medicine subject to quarantine requirements, show your import permit to bring the product into Australia.
  • Retain the documents relating to your medicines throughout your visit and have them available to present again at departure on request by Customs or Quarantine officers.
  • Further information about importing medicines for personal use may be found on the Therapeutic Goods Administration website.

What happens if my medication runs out while I am visiting Australia?

If the medication you require is a prohibited import, you cannot import additional quantities by mail. You should consult a local doctor. If the medication is not approved in Australia and there is no suitable alternative, your doctor may contact the Experimental Drugs Section in the Therapeutic Goods Administration for consideration under the Special Access Scheme (SAS).

Special Access Scheme  
Phone: + 61 2 6232 8101 
Email: eds@tga.gov.au
  A local doctor may be authorised to import the medication on your behalf. 
 

 

THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS A GUIDELINE ONLY

The information about medication is directly taken from http://www.tga.gov.au/consumer/travellers.htm

ALWAYS REFER TO THE WEBSITE http://www.tga.gov.au/FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION.