Billing changes 1st of April 2022

As of the 1st of April 2022 Existing Patients under the age of 16 and patients who hold a valid Concession Card, Pensioner Card, Health Care Card will have an out of pocket cost of $50 on their first standard appointment (once every 12 months) from the 01.04.2022 and then annually on the first appointment every 12 months.

Example of Practice Fee:

  • Standard Appointment Cost $89.10 – Medicare Rebate $39.10
  • Long Appointment Cost $125.75 – Medicare Rebate $75.75

Please speak to your GP if you are experiencing any financial difficulties at this time as we want to work with our patients during this process.

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Notice – Regulating QScript

QScript is enabled by the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019.

The Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 gives the head of power for the establishment of the real-time prescription monitoring system, called QScript.

The Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021:

  • specifies the S4 and S8 medicines, known as monitored medicines, captured by QScript
  • specifies the health practitioners required to check QScript before prescribing, dispensing or giving a treatment dose of a monitored medicine for a patient.

 

Requirements of health practitioners

Monitored medicines have a recognised therapeutic use but may also present a high risk of physical, mental and social harms. It is Queensland Health’s responsibility to regulate access to and encourage the safe use of monitored medicines.

QScript

From 28 October 2021 relevant health practitioners will be required to check QScript for patient records before:

  • prescribing a monitored medicine for a patient
  • dispensing a monitored medicine for a patient
  • giving a treatment dose of a monitored medicine for a patient.

The Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 specifies penalties that can be imposed if health practitioners do not take reasonable steps to check QScript when required. There will be exceptions in some circumstances, including when treating patients in an emergency.

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We are a Mixed Billing Practice

As of the 1st of July 2021 our Practice will become a Mixed Billing Practice. Patients under the age of 16 and patients who hold a valid Pension Card, Concession Card, Healthcare Card or DVA Card will not incur any costs.
For patients who do not hold any of the above listed cards there will be an out of pocket expensive for your consultation, excluding the following appointments:
  • Reviewing Results
  • Health Assessments
  • Careplans and Review
  • Mental Health Careplan and Review
Pricing:
  • Standard Appointment $70 Medicare Rebate $38.75
  • Long Appointment $110 Medicare Rebate $75.05
Please note Patients who have paid the annual private billing from the 1st of April 2021 will have their first two appointments Bulk Billed.
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Bulk Billing Notice 2020

Please be aware that the first consult from 1st October 2020 is privately billed for patients 16 and over without a Healthcare or Concession Card, a standard (10 minute) consult will be $113.75 with a rebate of $38.75, for an extended or double consult (20+ minutes) the cost will be $150.05 with a rebate of $75.05. These payments can be processed on the day with a current Medicare Card and an Eftpos card with either a cheque or savings account. Please contact our friendly receptionist for further details.

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Cancellation Policy

Please note as of the 1st of March our practice will be implementing a Cancellation Policy, with a fee of $10 for all appointments where the patient is a No Show or Cancels with less than 2 hours’ notice. Payment will need to be made before seeing the Doctor on the next appointment.

Currently we have many patients who do not show for their appointment or cancel at the last minute, as our appointment book can be full at times we are then unable to accommodate patients who are waiting to be seen.

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Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) offering hope for pain

If we could all avoid knee surgery for Osteoarthritis we would, so perhaps PRP treatment is a viable option we could all try.

The Wear and Tear of Osteoarthritis

It sounds a bit unsettling, but as we age our invincibility wears along with our weightbearing joints that begin to breakdown, such as our knees.

After the age of 45 the incidence of Osteoarthritis, a wear and tear condition, is one many Australians will face, in fact, 1 in every 11 of us will be diagnosed with it, the most common form of Arthritis.

In severe cases, it can lead to knee replacement surgery, affecting our quality of life, our mental health and wellbeing.

At this point, many of you reading this are possibly rubbing that aching knee looking for relief, or perhaps just acknowledging for the first time you may have a problem.

You’ll most likely recognise the pain of affected joints when you move, a growing stiffness in the morning as you get out of bed, the increased incidence of swelling and tenderness around your knees, and the beginning of a distinct loss of flexibility.

Treatment – Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Fortunately, treatments are available, so, what is the answer?

Well it differs for every patient, for some of us, simple medication will offer relief but for others a relatively new treatment is offering hope.

Platelet Rich Plasma otherwise known as PRP.

While no guarantee or a quick fix, PRP, in which your doctor collects a sample of your blood for centrifuging, more commonly known as spinning, separates over 90% of your blood’s platelets and is reinjected into the affected joint as plasma.

This has been proven to increase joint function and reduce the incidence of pain offering many patients a long-term solution.

Getting Proper Qualified Specialist Advice

Of course, PRP is not for everybody and only a qualified physician can assess your suitability for treatment, explain the process in detail, and address your expectations and probabilities of success.

This will always increase with a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight, and proper exercise.

In life, making things better for ourselves is sometimes simply relieving pain.

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How to Stay Healthy Over Christmas

December should be a time for celebration and being merry, but all the festivities can result in some poor eating habits that will affect our physical and even mental health. It could be caused by slacking with your exercise regime or perhaps overindulging in sweet treats. Whatever the case is, we’ve put together a couple of useful tips to help you stay healthy and fit over Christmas without restricting yourself too much.

Find food alternatives if you have a strict diet

Whether it’s a carb-free or low-sodium diet, you’ll want to look for alternatives to typical Christmas foods that you want to avoid. This will ensure that everyone has a delicious meal at the table and will save you having to skip meals or eat something completely different. You may need to make a few compromises, but it’s a great exercise in sticking to your diet through thick and thin.

Don’t neglect your exercise routine

If you’ve established some kind of routine for exercise, make sure you don’t neglect it. Whether it’s going for a walk, heading to the gym for a light session or even just doing some HIIT workouts at home, make sure you don’t neglect your routine. If you don’t have the right equipment or prefer not to go to the gym over the Christmas holiday, then consider seeking out an alternative such as HIIT to keep the muscles working.

Don’t underestimate breakfast

Breakfast is still going to be an important meal of the day, even if you’re anticipating a big Christmas lunch or buffer later in the day. Give yourself a generous bowl of porridge and fruit to give you plenty of carbohydrates to keep you energetic throughout the day and also control your appetite so that you don’t binge on your favourite foods.

Keep drinking water

With so many delicious drinks and alcoholic beverages available over the holiday season, it’s easy to neglect drinking the most basic liquid of them all; water. We suggest drinking even more water over Christmas if you plan to drink alcohol. After all, you don’t want to wake up feeling dehydrated or hungover, so keep reminding yourself to drink more water and you’ll feel much better after the holidays are over.

Don’t limit yourself too much

While staying healthy over Christmas is important, we also suggest that you don’t be too harsh on yourself. For example, don’t skip out on Christmas dinner or lunch with your family due to your diet. If you have strict nutritional requirements then find alternatives or offer to cook your own meals–don’t just isolate yourself from the rest of your friends and family for the sake of your diet.

We hope that these tips have been helpful for helping you maintain your health over the Christmas holidays. Above all else, make sure you enjoy yourself and watch your limits. It’s easy to binge on alcohol and unhealthy food over Christmas, but as long as you’re watching what you eat and have some level of self-control, you should do just fine.

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Why you need to break up with Dr Google and see your GP

The internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource, and most of us rely on it every day. But there are certain things you should not trust it with – namely, your health. It is tempting to see Google as an infallible resource when it comes to almost everything, and many people will turn to it to solve life’s problems. In many situations this is fair enough (how did anyone get anywhere before Google Maps??). But it is important to realise that Google cannot diagnose your illness based on your search results. Today we are going to look at why you should end your relationship with Dr Google.

Why is Dr Google so Popular? Dr Google Will See You Now

Unbelievably, one in three people with a minor illness will not only self diagnose using Google search, but most of them will also often self treat too!

The top ten searches of 2018 show that health conditions and self-diagnosis now takes up 34% of all searches on Google.

While some people think this will take the pressure off the health services and doctors around the world, there is evidence to suggest that it actually adds to the amount of pressure they have to face. Doctors are now being presented with patients that have either been self-medicating or demand unnecessary tests based on search results.

Why Dr Google Is Dangerous

As we have briefly mentioned, Dr Google can throw up any number of results and a lot of the time; this can result in patients self-diagnosing and self-medicating. There is a very good reason that a lot of drugs aren’t available over the counter; they are dangerous. Unfortunately, a lot of people are taking their digital diagnosis and taking to online marketplaces to locate drugs to treat imaginary illnesses. Where people aren’t self-medicating, they are proceeding to book emergency medical appointments for what generally turns out to be nothing at all. Unfortunately Dr Google and the magic diagnosis system is quite often incorrect in its diagnosis. Dr Google is even responsible for the rise of a brand new health condition called “cyberchondria”. Cyberchondria is a person’s rise in concern about symptoms they feel they have based on the search results they see from Google.

It’s Time To See A GP

Undoubtedly the internet is an amazing resource, but you should always remember that it can also be full of misleading information. Some observers have labelled it “the world’s biggest game of Chinese whispers.” This is why if you have concerns about your health it is always best to visit your GP. While Google may play host to a world of information, your GP is the Google of the medical world. Your doctor will be able to help you quickly, efficiently and safely when you need them most. GP’s have received many years of training and specialise in general medicine. This experience will never be replaceable by a computer, and you should always be safe when thinking about your health.

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Scan Your Skin

ARE YOU AT RISK OF SKIN CANCER?

This simple guide has been developed by doctors and researchers so you can quickly calculate your
skin cancer risk and recognise the early signs of skin cancer. You don’t need any special skills – simply answer
ten easy questions and take a few minutes to SCAN your skin.

View the PDF version here Scan your skin

 

 

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NOTICE – ATTENTION

As from the 1st July 2018 Farrell Street Family Practice will be charging a:

$55.00 FACILITY FEE – ONCE PER FINANCIAL YEAR

This Facility Fee applies to:
ALL NON-CONCESSION CARD HOLDERS

Patients who will be exempt from this fee include:
CURRENT CONCESSION CARD HOLDERS and CHILDREN UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE

AGAIN PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ONCE PER FINANCIAL YEAR PER PATIENT.
This fee enables us to address the rising costs we are facing whilst we continue to Bulk Bill our Patients

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