Blood pressure treatment online

Yes. You can talk to an AHPRA-registered Australian doctor about high blood pressure through a real-time telehealth consultation. You complete a short online form and an AI preconsult call, then a doctor phones you, reviews your history and discusses your options. The doctor decides what is clinically appropriate. Completing a form or paying a fee does not mean a particular outcome.

No. A telehealth consultation suits both a review of high blood pressure you already manage and a first conversation about new symptoms. If your doctor thinks you need an examination, a test or an in-person appointment before anything else, they will say so and point you to the right service.

Where clinically appropriate, yes. Your doctor decides after speaking with you and reviewing your history. Some medicines cannot be prescribed by telehealth, and some situations need an in-person examination or a test first. If your doctor prescribes, your eScript token arrives by SMS for use at a pharmacy. If they complete the consult without prescribing, the consultation fee still applies. Doccy refunds the fee only when we cannot deliver the consultation.

A prescription consultation costs $42.00 AUD. This is a one-off consultation fee. It is not the price of medicine and there is no subscription. If a doctor prescribes, you pay your pharmacy separately, with PBS pricing where you are eligible. Medicare details are required and the consultation is not bulk billed.

High blood pressure is not always suitable for telehealth. If your doctor thinks you need to be seen in person, they will explain why and recommend a next step, such as your usual GP, a pathology collection centre or an emergency department. Completing that consult without a prescription is still a completed consultation, and the fee applies. Doccy refunds the consultation fee only when we cannot deliver the consultation. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

healthdirect describes optimal blood pressure as under 120/80 and high blood pressure as 140/90 or over. Readings in between are a prompt to look at your lifestyle and keep checking. A reading of 180/110 or higher is very high. If it comes with a headache, vomiting, eyesight problems, confusion, chest pain or shortness of breath, go to an emergency department or call triple zero (000). One high reading does not make a diagnosis, so repeat readings matter.

It helps a great deal, and for a new diagnosis it is often necessary. Your doctor cannot measure your blood pressure by phone, so they rely on readings taken elsewhere. A validated upper-arm home monitor, used twice a day for seven days, gives a reliable picture. Readings from a pharmacy machine or a recent GP visit are also useful. Bring the dates and the numbers to your call. If you have no readings, your doctor may ask you to get some first.

Where clinically appropriate, yes. Your doctor will ask about your current management, your recent readings, any side effects and when you last had blood tests. If your treatment is stable and your readings are in a healthy range, they can continue it and send an eScript to your phone. If your readings are high, your treatment has recently changed, or you are due for blood tests, they may recommend adjustments or refer you for tests before continuing.

Usually not, which is why it is sometimes called a silent condition. Most people with high blood pressure feel completely well until it has damaged the heart, brain, kidneys or eyes. In 2022, 63% of Australian adults with hypertension did not know they had it (AIHW). Very high blood pressure can cause headache, blurred vision, chest pain or shortness of breath, and these need urgent care. The only way to know your blood pressure is to measure it.

healthdirect advises that adults have their blood pressure checked at least every two years, and more often if it has been high before, you have other heart risk factors or you take medication for it. A Heart Health Check with your GP is funded by Medicare from age 45, or from 30 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. If you monitor at home, your doctor will suggest a routine, often a week of readings before each review.