Aus Doc Now is an online platform that facilitates the provision of telehealth services by registered Australian healthcare practitioners. The Telehealth Services are provided through phone calls and videoconferencing technology, which enables virtual consultations between patients and healthcare practitioners. During the consultations, the healthcare practitioners examine the patients and take their medical history using various online technologies, without physically examining or meeting them in person.

By using our Platform, you acknowledge and agree that we do not provide medical or healthcare services and are not responsible for any such services, including the Telehealth Services, arranged through the Platform, unless otherwise stated in these Terms. Any medical or healthcare related concerns should be addressed to a Healthcare Practitioner. We do not guarantee the safety, appropriateness, or effectiveness of any medication or treatment provided by a Healthcare Practitioner during a Consultation.

Information provided on the Platform, excluding information provided by a Healthcare Practitioner during a Consultation, is not intended to constitute medical or healthcare advice. Patients should not rely on the information on the Platform as a substitute for consulting with a doctor or other qualified healthcare practitioner.

The services provided through the Platform are not appropriate for severe medical conditions, medical emergencies, or situations that require immediate or urgent medical attention (referred to as Emergencies). If you are seeking treatment for a severe medical condition or require immediate or urgent medical assistance, please contact emergency services at 000 or visit the nearest hospital emergency center.

The services provided through the Platform, are not intended to replace the ongoing care of your regular GP or other healthcare professional responsible for managing your routine healthcare needs. Patients are encouraged to schedule follow-up appointments with their primary physician to ensure appropriate care of their healthcare needs.

As with all healthcare services, the effectiveness of the Telehealth Services is contingent upon receiving honest and complete answers to all questions asked to evaluate the suitability of treatments and medications for Patients. As a Patient (or guardian of a Patient, if applicable), you acknowledge and agree to provide truthful and thorough answers to all questions asked, report any new symptoms or any deterioration of your condition that may have occurred since your last Consultation.

When you have completed the Account registration process, you may request a booking for a Consultation. We aim, but do not guarantee, booking times, even when these are confirmed to you.

A booking will be for a window of time on an agreed day during which the Doctor will be available to have a Consultation with you. We will contact you, usually via SMS and/or email, for the purpose of:

1. confirming the Booking Window; and providing you with a unique URL address, by which you will have access to the Consultation.
2. During the Booking Window, you must ensure that you are available to attend the Consultation.
3. If we agree to facilitate a Consultation for you, we will let you know the minimum technical requirements and recommendations to ensure a high-quality connection is established.

The Platform is designed to provide Patients with convenient access to medical advice for non-emergency and straightforward medical needs through telehealth. By accessing the Platform, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

• You are at least 18 years of age and are either the Patient or their legal guardian, parent, or health attorney. If requested, you will provide proof of identity with a driver’s license or other legal document.
• The Patient is not experiencing dangerous or unusual symptoms, such as suddenly decreased or blurred vision, severe headaches, inexplicable pain or nausea, fainting spells, bleeding, numbness, or tingling/pins and needles in any part of the body.
• The need for the Consultation is not connected with an accident or injury, regardless of cause.
• The Patient does not have multiple or serious chronic conditions and is not currently taking multiple prescribed medications.
• The Patient does not require a prescription for any ‘schedule 8’ (narcotic) medicines or any medicines with the potential for abuse or addiction.
• You have completed the ‘Patient General Medical Questions’ completely and truthfully, and have not omitted any relevant information that may affect the Patient’s care.
• We do not guarantee the quality of any medical advice provided by a Healthcare Practitioner during a Consultation or otherwise. We do not guarantee that a Healthcare Practitioner will hold any additional qualification or specialist knowledge, and we are not responsible for the manner in which a Consultation is conducted or the quality of any medical advice provided.
• If you or the Patient are hard of hearing, you/they will have a hearing assistance device during the Consultation.
• You are responsible for the costs of the Consultation in accordance with these Terms.
• If a Healthcare Practitioner considers that the Patient needs further treatment or examination during a Consultation, you will seek it as soon as possible, and neither we nor the Healthcare Practitioner are responsible for following up with Patients.
• Any medication or other treatment prescribed by a Doctor will be solely for the Patient’s own personal use, and you will not allow any other person to take medication that has been prescribed to a Patient.
• You will not share your Platform username and password with anyone and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that a third party does not gain access to your account.
• We reserve the right to cancel your registration on the Platform without notice at our sole discretion.
• If a Healthcare Practitioner prescribes medication or treatment for a Patient, and the Patient experiences any noticeable side effects, you will notify us immediately so that the Healthcare Practitioner can fulfill their duty of after-care.
• You will only use the Platform in good faith and for its intended purpose, and in compliance with Australian law.
• You will treat the personal information of others in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and all relevant privacy legislation.
• You must not load or publish any material that contains any virus, Trojan horse, worm, or other programs that have an adverse effect on the Platform or the hosting infrastructure.

The payment options available on the Platform are clearly displayed for your convenience. By using the Platform, you agree to pay all fees or charges in accordance with these Terms and the fees and charges that are currently in effect at the time a fee or charge is due and payable. To confirm your appointment, you must pay all fees and charges associated with the consultation using the credit card you provide, and you agree that we are authorized to process the payment immediately at the time of booking. You will never be charged more than the agreed-upon amount.

If the Healthcare Practitioner cancels the appointment or if a technological failure prevents an effective Consultation between the Patient and the Healthcare Practitioner, we will refund the Consultation fee. Technological failures are assessed and logged by the Healthcare Practitioner. Generally, the Consultation fee is not refundable if you, as a Patient, cancel an appointment within 10 minutes prior to it starting or fail to attend at the scheduled time.

All prescriptions written after a Consultation are passed on by the Healthcare Practitioner either as an electronic prescription via SMS to you or directly to a Quality Care accredited Australian pharmacy. You have the choice of whether to have your own local pharmacist dispense a prescription or have a pharmacy allied with us dispense the medication, following the same guidelines as any other Quality Care pharmacy provider.

Please note that AUS DOC NOW is not a pharmacy and does not dispense, sell or deliver prescription medications. Rather, our QuickScript service connects. 

We cannot guarantee the availability of a Healthcare Practitioner for a scheduled Consultation. However, if a Healthcare Practitioner is unavailable, we will make every effort to find a replacement. If a Consultation is cancelled, we will notify you as soon as possible. We understand that Patients may have preferences for their Healthcare Practitioner, such as the gender of the practitioner or language spoken, and we will try to accommodate these preferences based on availability. Each Consultation has a maximum duration of 15 minutes. We cannot guarantee that a diagnosis and treatment plan can be developed within this time. Patients may terminate a Consultation at any time but will be charged for the full 15-minute session. A Healthcare Practitioner has full discretion to interrupt, reschedule or terminate a Consultation or decline to treat a Patient for any reason that they consider reasonable. Consultations may not be suitable for complex medical problems that require more time than 15 minutes. Although it may not be possible to extend the Consultation beyond the initial 15 minutes, arrangements can be made with the Doctor for another appointment if necessary.

After a Consultation, the Healthcare Practitioner will send the prescription to you either as an electronic prescription (e-script) via SMS, or directly to a Quality Care accredited Australian pharmacy. You have the option to choose whether you want your local pharmacist to dispense the prescription or if you have no preference, we can arrange for a pharmacy affiliated with us to dispense the medication following the same guidelines as any other Quality Care pharmacy provider.

The method of conducting a Consultation (including any follow-up after receiving a questionnaire for a prescription) is at the discretion of the Healthcare Practitioner, and may involve WebRTC video, telephone or a combination of these methods. Email, instant messaging and fax are not permitted for Consultations. However, an email address will be required in case the Healthcare Practitioner needs to send any paperwork to the Patient after the Consultation. Please note that no communication between the Healthcare Practitioner and the Patient is allowed outside of the scheduled Consultation time unless approved by the Healthcare Practitioner in writing beforehand.

We may ask you to provide feedback on the Platform, and you acknowledge that any content you submit may be used by us at our sole discretion. You agree that you will not make any disparaging comments or take any actions that may harm or prejudice our reputation or goodwill, including through the use of social media, web discussion groups, or other websites.

The content, features, and functionality of the Platform (including information, organization, and display of content, as well as software, images, logos, video, and audio) are the sole property of the company and are protected by intellectual property laws. Any feedback you provide to us regarding the Platform will become our intellectual property. These Terms only allow you to use the Platform for your personal and non-commercial purposes. You are not permitted to use any part of the Platform or any of its services or materials for commercial purposes.

The Privacy Act 1988 requires us to comply with certain obligations related to privacy. We value your privacy and have taken extensive measures to ensure that your personal information is protected. We have formulated a Privacy Policy to inform you about our privacy practices, which can be viewed here. We will utilize your personal information only in accordance with the terms outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Please note that we reserve the right to modify these Terms without prior notification, and you acknowledge that these changes will take effect immediately upon your next use of the Platform. By continuing to use the Platform, you agree to be bound by the updated Terms. 

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Queensland, Australia. Each party irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and any courts which may hear appeals from those courts.