Contraception without a GP in Australia: pharmacist, telehealth or clinic
Continuing the contraception you already use no longer needs a GP in most states: a trained pharmacist can resupply it. Starting something new still usually does, except in Queensland and, since mid-2026, New South Wales and Victoria. The cheapest route is not always the pharmacy, because contraception a pharmacist supplies without a doctor's prescription is sold outside the PBS in New South Wales and Victoria.
Last updated 28 September 2026
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What a pharmacist can do in each state
The states split into two groups. In some, a pharmacist can only continue a prescription a doctor started. In others, a pharmacist can also start or change contraception for people who meet the criteria.
| State | What the pharmacist can do | Ages | Consultation fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Resupply of an existing prescription, permanent since 28 September 2024. Starting contraception at a pharmacy from June 2026 for low-risk women aged 18 to 39. | Resupply 18 to 49 | Pharmacy sets the fee. For starting contraception, the first 5,000 consultations were state-funded and later ones are expected to cost $20 to $60. |
| Victoria | Resupply, and starting contraception from July 2026, through Chemist Care Now. | Resupply 16 to 50, starting 18 to 50 | Consultation free |
| Queensland | Prescribing by trained pharmacists (from a 2024 pilot), announced as permanent on 21 March 2025. | 16 and over | Not published |
| South Australia | Resupply only, from 6 May 2024. | 17 to 50 | The pharmacy may charge, amount not published |
| Western Australia | Resupply only, run as a pilot. | 16 to 39 | Fees apply, amount not published |
| ACT | Resupply only, regular practice since 27 February 2025. | 18 to 49 | The pharmacy may charge, amount not published |
| Tasmania | A pharmacy contraception service runs under the Community Pharmacy Program. | Not read directly | Not published |
| Northern Territory | No service confirmed on a government page we could read. | n/a | n/a |
Read on 28 September 2026 from NSW Health and the NSW Government releases of 26 September 2024 and 15 April 2026, Better Health Victoria, the Queensland ministerial statements of 21 March 2024 and 21 March 2025, SA Health, WA Health, the ACT Government release of 27 February 2025 and Tasmania's Department of Health. Resupply services generally require that you have used the same contraception for a set period under a doctor's prescription; the state pages give the exact rule.
What each route costs
| Route | The consultation | The contraception |
|---|---|---|
| Your GP | Bulk-billed, or a gap above the $45.05 Medicare rebate for a standard consult | PBS price where listed: up to $25.00, or $7.70 concession |
| Pharmacist, NSW or Victoria | Free in Victoria; set by the pharmacy in NSW | Private price, outside the PBS and the Safety Net |
| Pharmacist, other states | Set by the pharmacy, amount not published | Ask before the consult |
| Online doctor | Most services we read charge a private fee; a rebate is possible through the sexual and reproductive health items | PBS price if the doctor writes a PBS prescription |
| Family planning or sexual health clinic | Bulk-billed for many patients | PBS price where listed |
Medicare rebates from MBS Online (fees from 1 July 2026) and the PBS co-payment from pbs.gov.au, read 28 September 2026. Not every contraceptive is PBS-listed; unlisted ones cost more at every route.
Online consultations and Medicare
Standard GP telehealth only attracts a Medicare rebate if you have seen that practice in person in the last 12 months. Medicare's sexual and reproductive health telehealth items are the exception: they pay a rebate without that established relationship, for example $45.05 for a standard video or phone consult (items 92718 and 92734), provided the doctor works from a practice that also offers face-to-face care.
Most online script services we read charge a private fee rather than claiming these items: across six national services, prices on 28 September 2026 ran from $24.90 for an express script request to $90 for an after-hours consult, with the contraception itself extra. It is worth asking whether a consult is bulk-billed before paying.
Clinics that bulk-bill
Family planning and sexual health clinics are the lowest-cost route for many people. Sexual Health Victoria bulk-bills people aged 21 and under and concession card holders, bulk-bills insertion of long-acting contraception for Medicare card holders, and otherwise charges $130.10 for a general appointment, which is $43 after the Medicare rebate (fees current 17 August 2026). Family Planning Australia, formerly Family Planning NSW, bulk-bills people 18 and under, full-time students and concession card holders. Since 1 November 2025 a higher bulk billing incentive has also applied to long-acting contraception.
General information for an Australian audience, not medical advice. Which contraception suits you is a decision to make with a registered health professional.
Where to go from here
This page explains how contraception is accessed and priced in Australia.
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Common questions
- Can I get contraception without seeing a GP in Australia?
- In most states, yes, at least for continuing what you already use. Pharmacists can resupply an existing contraception prescription in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the ACT and Tasmania, each with its own age range. Queensland pharmacists can also start or change contraception, New South Wales began allowing this for low-risk women aged 18 to 39 in June 2026, and Victoria from July 2026. We found no confirmed service in the Northern Territory.
- Is pharmacy contraception cheaper than seeing a doctor?
- Not always. In New South Wales and Victoria, contraception supplied by a pharmacist without a doctor's prescription is sold at a private price, outside the PBS, and does not count towards the PBS Safety Net. With a doctor's PBS prescription, the most you pay is the PBS co-payment, which from 1 January 2026 is $25.00, or $7.70 with a concession card. The pharmacist's consultation is free in Victoria and set by the pharmacy elsewhere.
- Does Medicare cover an online contraception consultation?
- It can. Ordinary GP telehealth needs a face-to-face visit with that practice in the previous 12 months, but Medicare's sexual and reproductive health telehealth items do not. They pay a rebate without an established relationship, for example $45.05 for a standard video or phone consult. The catch is that most online script services charge a private fee instead, so ask whether the consult is bulk-billed or rebated before you book.
- Where can I get contraception bulk-billed?
- Family planning and sexual health clinics bulk-bill many patients. Sexual Health Victoria bulk-bills people aged 21 and under and concession card holders, and Family Planning Australia bulk-bills people 18 and under, full-time students and concession card holders. A GP may also bulk-bill: since 1 November 2025 the bulk billing incentive applies to every Medicare-eligible patient.
Keep reading
General information for an Australian audience, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. Circumstances differ from person to person, and anything prescription-only is supplied in Australia only after an individual assessment by a registered practitioner who decides whether it is appropriate. Prices change; each figure states when we checked it.
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