Medical Logistics!!!

SalEB1990

Hi there, I am going to travel around Australia once I have completed my final year of accountancy exams. However, I have Crohn's disease and have to take two different medications - the first one won't be a problem as it is in tablet form and I can request a year's supply, the other one however, is an injection that requires refrigeration.

Is it possible to buy my injection over there under the Australian health system at a subsidised price - it's a very pricey drug at €600 per jab so definitely cannot afford to be buying that every two weeks.

Or if you brought a supply from Ireland, how did you deal with the logistics of travelling around and keeping it refrigerated!

Would be grateful for you help :-)!

Oh also, in general what is the health system like? Once on a Working Holiday Visa would I get similar entitlements as I would under the public system here in Ireland?

Terrible thing for a 24 year to have to worry about but needs must!

mandrake04

SalEB1990 wrote: »

Hi there, I am going to travel around Australia once I have completed my final year of accountancy exams. However, I have Crohn's disease and have to take two different medications - the first one won't be a problem as it is in tablet form and I can request a year's supply, the other one however, is an injection that requires refrigeration.

Is it possible to buy my injection over there under the Australian health system at a subsidised price - it's a very pricey drug at €600 per jab so definitely cannot afford to be buying that every two weeks.

Or if you brought a supply from Ireland, how did you deal with the logistics of travelling around and keeping it refrigerated!

Would be grateful for you help :-)!

You might be eligible under PBS.

http://m.pbs.gov.au/about-the-pbs.html#Who_is_eligible_for_the_PBS

SalEB1990 wrote: »

Oh also, in general what is the health system like? Once on a Working Holiday Visa would I get similar entitlements as I would under the public system here in Ireland?

For most people the system is very good free healthcare and doctors under medicare if you resided in a country that has a medicare agreement, Ireland has a different reciprocal agreement you will be offered the same level of bargin basement healthcare as an Aussie would in Ireland which means you will have free emergency treatment in a hospital but will have to pay for Doctors visits and other bulk billed treatments.

As above you might be able to get subsidised medicine on PBS

SalEB1990

Thanks a mil for this! Good news is the drug is included on the list - just have to figure out if I'll be entitled to it under a WHV! Much appreciated :-)

Cooperspale

SalEB1990 wrote: »

Thanks a mil for this! Good news is the drug is included on the list - just have to figure out if I'll be entitled to it under a WHV! Much appreciated :-)

You'll be entitled to it under reciprocal health care agreement, just bring your passport to the pharmacy. Assuming that it's also expensive in Australia, make sure that your prescriber gets the appropriate authority number from PBS, otherwise you will be charged a private price and not the General $36.90. This price will increase on January 1st, no one knows how much yet, but I'm betting it could be up to $5 with current government.

SalEB1990

Cooperspale wrote: »

You'll be entitled to it under reciprocal health care agreement, just bring your passport to the pharmacy. Assuming that it's also expensive in Australia, make sure that your prescriber gets the appropriate authority number from PBS, otherwise you will be charged a private price and not the General $36.90. This price will increase on January 1st, no one knows how much yet, but I'm betting it could be up to $5 with current government.

Oh wow! That is music to my ears... and is it definitely applicable under the working holiday visa?

I'm not going to let this injection stop me from going but it's going to be a pain in the ass logistically to get a year's supply over in 36 hours and into a fridge, so if I can get it over there - fantastic!!!

Cooperspale

Any pharmacist worth their salt should recognise the reciprocal agreement on your prescription and use the appropriate field when dispensing it. If they don't, just let them know.

SalEB1990

Thanks for the help everyone! I contacted the association for Colitis and Crohn's disease in Australia with this query, so this is what they came back with (for anyone else who might be wondering about meds, this is useful whether it's Crohn's or something else), really eases my mind!:



"Hello Sara

Presumably you are a resident of the Republic of Ireland in which case you would be eligible for ‘necessary’ treatment and have access to Australia’s subsidised medicines under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) that exists between our two countries. It is still recommended that you have travel insurance and it would be wise to bring with you whatever allowable quantity of Humira you are permitted to take out of your country as long as you are able to make sure it is always transported and stored correctly. At the very least, it would be a good idea to have at least a couple of months supply to cover you for the initial few weeks after you arrive and to allow enough time to arrange an appointment to see an Australian gastroenterologist..

Copied/pasted below is some general information I keep on file in regard to accessing anti-TNF drugs such as Humira.

Access to anti-TNF drugs

Where an eligible patient is a visitor from a country with which Australia has entered into a RHCA, the supply will be limited to the initial prescription only. Repeat prescriptions for these patients are not permitted.

Visitors from RHCA countries are entitled to access PBS medicines such as adalimumab (Humira) and infliximab (Remicade) as long as they bring supporting documentation that:

· Confirms from their specialist that they are on this treatment based on a CDAI score that was greater than 300.

· Demonstrates there was a response to treatment with a CDAI score of 150 or less.

and they see a gastroenterologist after they arrive here (gastro completes the application with a cover letter and on approval writes the prescription)

Humira (Section 85): Can get approval for 6 months.

Remicade (Section 100): Can only get authorisation one at a time (but does not mean they have to be re-assessed each time).

Visitors from the UK/holders of a Medicare card can get approval based on the expiry date of their card (12 months).

Visitors from RHCA countries planning to visit Australia can direct their enquiries about access to PBS medicines (specifically anti-TNF’s) to:

<Can't post email - new user (Email me if you need it!)>

Visitors can download the relevant application form, which includes the ‘Adult Crohn’s Disease Activity Index’ and have it completed by their specialist in their home country before they leave. This can make it easier for when they arrive and see a gastroenterologist in Australia.

<Can't post link here - only a new user!>

Kind Regards,"

amybabes

Just bear in mind what the RHA entitles you to - until I became a permanent resident here last year, just visiting a G.P cost me $60-90 a time, I got some blood tests done once (IBD related) which cost me $500 as I didn't have Medicare and also specialists were very very expensive. I'm sure the RHA only covers emergency treatment and you can get the medication at the reduced price if you meet the criteria.

P.S I used to work on the drug in question here in Australia and there has always been huge difficulties transporting it on flights/ through security due to the refrigeration requirements. Contact the company's helpline both in Ireland and in Australia and they should be able to give you all the crucial info. Good luck

Floydreynolds

Hello Sarah,

I am looking at going over to AU on the working holiday visa from the UK. I am interested to no how you got on with getting access to humira. I am also using the drug to control ankylosing spondylitis.

I would also like to know the email for accessing enquieres for access to PBS Medicens (specifically anti-TNF's)

Any sort of information would be a massive help because after a lot of research I am still struggling to find any clear answers with this

Thanks :-)