Is a Home Medicines Review free? Cost and eligibility explained
A funded Home Medicines Review is provided at no charge to an eligible patient. It requires a referral from an eligible medical practitioner — usually the person’s GP — and a separate appointment with that practitioner may have its usual fee unless it is bulk billed.
A funded Home Medicines Review is provided at no charge to an eligible patient. The funding comes from the Australian Government under the Community Pharmacy Programs. A separate appointment with the referring doctor or specialist may still have its usual fee unless it is bulk billed.
Is a Home Medicines Review really free?
Yes. A funded Home Medicines Review must be provided at no charge to the patient. The service is funded by the Australian Government under the Community Pharmacy Programs. A separate appointment with the referring doctor or specialist may still have its usual fee unless it is bulk billed.
The patient must hold a current Medicare or DVA card, or be eligible for a Medicare card.
Who is eligible for a Home Medicines Review?
For a funded HMR, the patient must hold a current Medicare or DVA card (or be eligible for a Medicare card), live in a community setting, be at risk of or experiencing medication misadventure, and have an identifiable clinical need confirmed by the referring medical practitioner. Taking several regular medicines, a recent hospital discharge, a complicated regimen or several prescribers can all be reasons to discuss a review, but none is an automatic approval on its own. You can read more about what’s involved on the Home Medicines Review page and in how the visit works.
Most referrals come from a GP. Specialists in pain medicine, specialist physicians, specialist psychiatrists and specialists in palliative medicine can also generate an HMR referral.
One important distinction: this program is for people living at home in the community. If your family member is in residential aged care, they may instead be eligible for a Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) — a related but separate program that I don’t currently offer.
How often can a Home Medicines Review happen?
A subsequent funded HMR may be conducted when more than 24 months have elapsed since the most recent initial face-to-face interview. It may occur earlier only when the referrer specifically deems it clinically necessary; it must not be triggered solely by an anniversary date.
What if there’s no referral yet?
A funded HMR requires a referral from an eligible medical practitioner. For most families, the simplest path is to raise it at the next GP appointment. If that’s not practical, I can approach the GP practice on the family’s behalf, with their consent, to ask whether a referral makes sense. Have a look at how to request a review for what that involves.
If you’re still not sure whether your situation fits, get in touch and we’ll work out the next step together — whether that’s a quick conversation about eligibility or actually requesting a review.
For the full picture — what an HMR involves start to finish — see HMR pharmacist Melbourne.
Common questions
Is a Home Medicines Review really free in Australia?
A funded Home Medicines Review must be provided at no charge to the patient. A separate appointment with the referring doctor or specialist may still have its usual fee unless it is bulk billed.
Who pays for a Home Medicines Review?
The Australian Government funds the HMR service through the Community Pharmacy Programs. The funded review itself is provided at no charge to the patient; a separate appointment with the referrer may have its usual fee.
Does Medicare cover a Home Medicine Review?
The HMR service is funded through the Australian Government’s Community Pharmacy Programs. The review itself is provided at no charge to an eligible patient, while any separate appointment with the referring practitioner follows that practitioner’s normal billing arrangements.
Who is eligible for a Home Medicines Review?
For a funded HMR, the patient must hold a current Medicare or DVA card (or be eligible for a Medicare card), live in a community setting, be at risk of or experiencing medication misadventure, and have an identifiable clinical need confirmed by the referring medical practitioner.
How often can you have a Home Medicines Review?
A subsequent funded HMR may be conducted when more than 24 months have elapsed since the most recent initial face-to-face interview. It may occur earlier only when the referrer specifically deems it clinically necessary; it must not be triggered solely by an anniversary date.
Not sure what to do next?
Send an enquiry about the medicines or referral pathway and I’ll explain the next step. An enquiry does not commit you to a review.
For GPs & practice managers
Prepare the referral pathway
Planning guides for Bp Premier and MedicalDirector, a referral-form template and HomeMed’s service aims are collected on one page. Funded referrals will open only after launch requirements are confirmed.