How to Transfer a Prescription Between Pharmacies in Australia

There is no fee to transfer a prescription. You do not need a referral from your GP.

The three transfer methods

You have three practical routes. Pick whichever matches the kind of script you have and how urgently you need the medicine.

Method	When to use	Old pharmacy involvement
Forward eScript token	You already have the SMS or email token	None
Hand over paper script	Script is paper and not yet dispensed	None
Transfer remaining repeats	Paper script dispensed, repeats held at old pharmacy	Required

Method 1: Forward an eScript token

If your prescription is an eScript (most prescriptions issued in Australia since 2022 are), you already have the token on your phone. Forward the SMS or email to the new pharmacy, or walk in and show the QR code at the counter. The pharmacy scans it, dispenses the medicine, and the system regenerates a new token for any remaining repeats. Nothing more is needed from your old pharmacy.

Method 2: Hand over the paper prescription

If you still hold a paper script that has not been dispensed, take it to whichever pharmacy you choose. The new pharmacy stamps and files it the same way the old one would have. A paper script is valid at any approved Australian pharmacy until its expiry date.

Method 3: Ask the old pharmacy to send your repeats

If your paper script was dispensed at the old pharmacy and the remaining repeats are sitting in their dispensing system, you can ask them to release those repeats to a new pharmacy. The old pharmacy generates a transfer record and the new pharmacy collects it. This is also called an "owing script transfer" and most pharmacy software handles it electronically.

Step-by-step: forwarding an eScript

The eScript route is usually the fastest. Here is the full sequence.

1. Open the SMS or email from your prescriber. Look for the QR code and the alphanumeric token reference.
2. Choose your new pharmacy. Confirm they accept eScripts (every approved Australian pharmacy does).
3. Either walk in and show the QR code, forward the SMS or email to the pharmacy's published ordering number, or upload the token in your preferred pharmacy app.
4. The pharmacy dispenses. You collect or arrange delivery.
5. If your script has repeats, the system sends a new token to your phone after each fill. Use that for the next repeat at any pharmacy.

This works on a Sunday, on a public holiday, at midnight if the pharmacy is open. You do not need your old pharmacy involved at any point.

Step-by-step: transferring remaining repeats

If your repeats are held at a pharmacy you no longer want to use, the steps look like this.

1. Phone or visit your old pharmacy and ask them to transfer the remaining repeats. You can name the new pharmacy or ask for a transfer note you can take with you.
2. Confirm your contact details so the new pharmacy can verify you. They will usually want your Medicare card or government ID.
3. The new pharmacy contacts the old one (often by fax or secure pharmacy software) and pulls the transfer record.
4. The new pharmacy dispenses against the transferred repeats. You pay the normal PBS or private price.
5. Your Safety Net record follows your Medicare number, not your pharmacy, so transferring does not reset it.

If your old pharmacy has closed down permanently, contact the Pharmacy Guild branch in your state or call Services Australia on 132 011. A local pharmacy can often help track down where your records were transferred at closure.

What you cannot do

A 60-day prescription is a single fill of 60 days' supply. You cannot split it between two pharmacies. The same rule applies to a 30-day fill: one pharmacy, one supply, one transaction.

You also cannot transfer a script that has already been fully dispensed (including all repeats). At that point there is nothing left to transfer; your GP needs to issue a new prescription.

Schedule 8 medicines (strong pain medicines and similar controlled substances) have stricter transfer rules in some states. The new pharmacy may need to phone the old pharmacy or the prescriber to confirm. This is normal and is a state regulation, not a pharmacy decision.

When to transfer

Common reasons people switch pharmacies mid-script:

• Moving suburbs or interstate
• The old pharmacy is closed when you need a refill (after-hours need)
• You want a pharmacy that offers same-day delivery
• Cost difference on a brand premium between pharmacies
• The new pharmacy is closer to home, work, or your GP
• The old pharmacy lost or misfiled your record

You do not need a reason to transfer. The right to choose your pharmacy sits with you.

If your reason is needing the medicine urgently and your prescriber is unreachable, see our continued dispensing guide instead. That covers the situation where the pharmacist can supply a one-off quantity without a script.

For a deeper look at how repeats work across pharmacies, see our repeat prescriptions guide.