Phoning the pharmacy
“Hi, my name is ____. I am calling about pharmacotherapy. I would like to ask about (starting / transferring / a missed dose / a takeaway / a travel supply). Are you able to talk now, or should I phone back during dosing hours?”
For patients
Tools that make the visit easier.
Practical aids you can use before you come in, at the counter, or when you need to talk to a doctor. None of this is medical advice, it's just the prep that makes the actual visit calmer.
Visit prep
What to bring your first visit.
Tick each as you pack them. The list saves itself only while this tab is open, print or screenshot if you want a copy.
0 of 7 packed
Word-for-word templates
What to say when the words are hard.
Asking a prescriber for a referral
“Hi, I'd like a referral for pharmacotherapy at Priceline Pharmacy Sunshine Marketplace. Their dosing pharmacist confirms acceptance within two business hours and they have multilingual staff at the counter. Their phone is 03 9364 7133 and their email is smpchemist@gmail.com.”
Travel: asking for forward supply
“I will be away from ____ to ____. Could you write a prescription that covers those days? I will be at (interstate / overseas) destination and the pharmacy needs the dates on the script before they can supply ahead.”
Asking for take-home naloxone
“Hi, I would like to collect take-home naloxone please. I have heard it is free under the Commonwealth program and I do not need a prescription.”
Quick guides
One-screen answers, no jargon.
Transfer to this pharmacy
Phone the pharmacy first. Bring your previous pharmacy's name and the date your last dose was supplied. Your prescriber will issue a fresh prescription for the transfer date. The two pharmacies talk to each other, you don't have to coordinate that.
Transfer guideTake-home naloxone
Free. No prescription. Ask the pharmacist next visit. They'll give you brief training on use and you can take it home in the same visit. Family members and support workers qualify too.
Naloxone pageTravelling: forward supply
Tell your prescriber the dates as soon as you know them. They write a prescription with the travel window included. The pharmacy needs the dates on the prescription before they can supply ahead, not on the day of travel.
Phone firstCost
There is no charge to attend or be dispensed here. The medication itself is on Medicare via your prescription. If you have a concession card, the cost is lower. We will never surprise you with a fee.
Languages at the counter
Ten languages spoken on the counter: English, Vietnamese, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Turkish, Greek, Macedonian, Filipino and Assyrian. For any other language, the top-right translation widget covers 50 languages, and we can book a free TIS interpreter on request.
Languages pageDosing hours
Mon-Wed: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM · Thu-Fri: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM · Sat: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM · Sun: 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
LocationsPlain-English glossary
Words you'll hear here, explained simply.
- Pharmacotherapy
- The medicine and pharmacy program that supports recovery from opioid dependence. It's prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist who works with you week to week.
- Supervised dosing
- Taking your daily dose at the pharmacy, where the pharmacist sees you take it. Done at the side counter, semi-private, away from the retail queue. Usually takes a couple of minutes.
- Takeaway dose
- A dose you take home rather than at the pharmacy. Whether you get takeaways is a clinical decision your prescriber makes with the pharmacist, not a calendar milestone.
- SafeScript
- Victoria's real-time prescription check. The pharmacist checks it at every supply to make sure your medicines are safe together. This is a normal part of every visit.
- Transfer
- Moving your pharmacotherapy from one pharmacy to another. Your prescriber writes a new prescription for the new pharmacy. The two pharmacies talk to each other so nothing gets duplicated.
- Naloxone
- A medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. Free from the pharmacy. You don't need a prescription. We give you brief training on how to use it.
- Missed dose
- When you cannot get to the pharmacy on a dosing day. Phone first if you can, a missed day is OK, but three missed days in a row means we have to talk to your prescriber before the next dose.
- Forward supply
- Receiving doses ahead of time because you are travelling or have an unavoidable absence. Your prescriber arranges this on a fresh prescription. The pharmacy alone cannot decide.
Next step
Phone first, always.
The pharmacy is open seven days. Phone before you travel for a new placement, transfer, or visiting dose.