A new concern or a first assessment
New treatment consultation
$42.00AUD / consultation
- An assessment of your symptoms and history
- A phone consultation with an Australian doctor
- Referrals, certificates or an eScript where appropriate
AHPRA-registered Australian doctors
Cholesterol treatment online
Knowing your numbers starts with a proper conversation.
Talk to an AHPRA-registered Australian doctor about your cholesterol from home. Your doctor reviews your results and heart risk, discusses your options, and can arrange blood tests, an eScript or a referral where clinically appropriate.
Prescription consultation $42.00 AUD. One-off fee. Medicare details required. Prescriptions are issued only when clinically appropriate.
A doctor makes the call.
Your history, your cholesterol, and a conversation about what comes next.
- Australian doctors
- Phone consultation
- Clear one-off fees
- eScript by SMS, if prescribed
- Blood test referrals available
Is telehealth right for your cholesterol?
See a doctor in person or call 000 if
- You have chest pressure, heaviness or tightness, or pain that spreads to your arms, shoulders, back, neck or jaw
- You are short of breath, sweating or feeling sick along with chest discomfort
- Your face has drooped, you cannot lift both arms, or your speech is slurred
- Heart attack signs are severe, getting worse or have lasted longer than ten minutes
Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance if you notice heart attack or stroke signs, however long they last. High cholesterol itself has no symptoms. These are the emergencies it can lead to.
- Heart Foundation Helpline 13 11 12, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST
- StrokeLine 1800 787 653, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST
- healthdirect 1800 022 222, 24 hours, 7 days
A telehealth consultation suits you if
- You have had a cholesterol test and want to talk through the results
- You already manage high cholesterol and need a review
- You want a blood test ordered before you decide anything
- You want to understand your overall heart risk and what to do about it
Our doctors prescribe and refer where telehealth is clinically appropriate. A cholesterol test is a blood test taken at a pathology collection centre, and working out your overall heart risk also needs a recent blood pressure reading taken in person. Telehealth suits reviewing your results, your family history and your current management, and arranging the pathology request. If you need an examination, a test or urgent care, your doctor will tell you and point you to the right service.
How it works
A little preparation. Then a doctor's call.
You will need your phone and Medicare details, and you must be in Australia. Waiting times depend on demand and clinical availability.
- Step 1
Tell us about your cholesterol
A short online form about your symptoms, history and what you need. Check the consultation fee before you continue.
- Step 2
Complete your AI preconsult
An AI screening call asks about your symptoms and health history so your doctor starts with the full picture. After the call you join the doctor queue.
- Step 3
Speak with a registered doctor
An AHPRA-registered Australian doctor phones you, reviews your preconsult and talks through what is right for you, in real time.
- Step 4
Get your outcome
Advice and a plan for your cholesterol. Where clinically appropriate, an eScript token by SMS, a referral or a medical certificate. If the doctor completes the consult without prescribing, the consultation fee still applies. We refund the fee only when we cannot deliver the consultation.
Your consultation
What your doctor will cover
Assessment
Your most recent results, your family history of heart disease or high cholesterol, your blood pressure, whether you smoke or have diabetes, and what all of this adds up to for your overall heart risk.
Treatment options
What you eat and how active you are, a review of how your current management is working, and prescription medication where your doctor considers it appropriate for your level of risk.
Ongoing care
The targets that suit you, how often to retest, and what to do if your results or your health change between reviews.
Beyond the consult
A pathology request for a lipid blood test, referral to a specialist where needed, and when a Heart Health Check or an in-person review with your regular GP is the right next step.
Consultation fees
Clear fees. A considered decision.
One consultation fee. It includes a phone call with an Australian doctor, who decides what is appropriate for your cholesterol.
One-off fees. No subscription. Medicines are dispensed by your pharmacy at the pharmacy's price, with PBS pricing where you are eligible. Medicare details are required; these consultations are not bulk billed.
A prescription is not guaranteed. If the doctor completes your consult and decides a prescription is not clinically appropriate, the consultation fee still applies. We refund the fee only when we cannot deliver the consultation. See our terms and refund policy.
Understanding the condition
About cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat that your body needs in small amounts. Too much of the wrong kind builds up in the walls of your arteries and raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. Almost one in three Australian adults (30.2%) had abnormally high total cholesterol when it was measured in 2022 to 24, and only 9.2% of them knew it. High cholesterol has no symptoms, so a blood test is the only way to find out where you stand.
What cholesterol is
Your liver makes most of your cholesterol, and some comes from food. It travels in the blood attached to proteins. LDL cholesterol is often called bad cholesterol, because high levels leave fatty deposits in artery walls. HDL cholesterol is often called good cholesterol, because it carries cholesterol back to the liver. Triglycerides are another blood fat that adds to your risk when levels are high. A lipid blood test measures all of these together, and you do not always need to fast before it.
Your doctor reads the results as a whole, alongside your age, blood pressure, smoking and whether you have diabetes. Together these give your overall heart risk, which matters more than any single number.
Why high cholesterol matters
High cholesterol does not make you feel unwell. Fatty deposits build up quietly over many years, narrowing the arteries and making a blockage more likely. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that high cholesterol accounts for about 30% of all cardiovascular disease burden in Australia, and 36% of the burden from coronary heart disease. Because there are no warning signs, the first sign can be a heart attack or stroke. Testing is how you get ahead of it.
Causes and risk factors
A diet high in saturated fat, not moving enough, carrying extra weight, smoking and drinking heavily all push cholesterol up. So do some medical conditions, including diabetes, an underactive thyroid and kidney disease. Family history matters too. About 1 in 250 Australians has familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited condition that causes very high cholesterol from a young age, and most do not know they have it. If a close relative had a heart attack or high cholesterol early in life, tell your doctor.
How high cholesterol is usually managed
Management starts with what you eat and how you move. Eating more vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrains and healthy fats, and less saturated fat and processed food, lowers cholesterol for most people. Regular activity, a healthy weight and stopping smoking all help. Where your overall heart risk is high enough, your doctor may also recommend prescription medication, and will explain why. Your doctor sets targets that suit you and tells you how often to retest.
When to see a doctor
healthdirect recommends that Australians aged 45 and over have their cholesterol checked at least every five years. Checks start earlier, from 30 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and from 35 for people with diabetes. See a doctor sooner if you have a family history of early heart disease or very high cholesterol, or if you already know your cholesterol is high and it has not been reviewed for a while. A Medicare-funded Heart Health Check with your regular GP is another way to have your overall risk assessed. For heart attack or stroke signs, call triple zero (000).
Cholesterol telehealth FAQs
What a consultation about cholesterol can and cannot do, and how the process works.
Can I get high cholesterol treatment online in Australia?
Yes. You can talk to an AHPRA-registered Australian doctor about high cholesterol 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.
Do I need to have been diagnosed with high cholesterol before I book?
No. A telehealth consultation suits both a review of high cholesterol 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.
Can a telehealth doctor prescribe for high cholesterol?
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.
How much does a consultation cost?
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.
What if the doctor decides telehealth is not right for me?
High cholesterol 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).
What is high cholesterol and why does it matter?
High cholesterol means there is too much LDL cholesterol, or too little HDL cholesterol, in your blood. Over years it builds up in artery walls and narrows them, which raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. It causes no symptoms, so most people only find out through a blood test. In 2022 to 24, only 9.2% of Australian adults with high measured cholesterol knew they had it (ABS). Your doctor weighs it with your other risk factors to work out your overall heart risk.
Do I need a blood test before the consultation?
No. You can book to discuss results you already have, or to talk through your risk and have a test arranged. If you have a recent lipid result, keep it handy so your doctor can go through it with you. If you have not been tested, your doctor can issue a pathology request for a lipid blood test at a collection centre near you. You can then book a follow-up consultation to discuss the results and your next steps.
Can Doccy order a cholesterol blood test?
Yes, where your doctor considers it appropriate. Your doctor can issue a pathology request for a lipid profile, which measures total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. You take the request to a pathology collection centre, and fasting is not always needed. The results return to your doctor, and you can book a follow-up to talk them through. The collection centre may charge its own fee, which is separate from your consultation fee.
How is high cholesterol managed?
Management starts with lifestyle changes: eating less saturated fat and more vegetables, fruit, legumes and wholegrains, being active most days, keeping a healthy weight and not smoking. For many people this is enough. Where your overall heart risk is high, your doctor may also recommend prescription medication where they consider it appropriate, and will explain the reasons. Whatever the plan, regular retesting shows whether it is working and lets your doctor adjust it.
How often should I check my cholesterol?
healthdirect recommends a check at least every five years from age 45, from 30 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and from 35 for people with diabetes. If your cholesterol is already high, or you have a strong family history of heart disease, your doctor will suggest checking more often, sometimes yearly. After a change to your management, a retest in a few months shows whether it is working. Your doctor sets the interval that suits you.
Medical emergency? This service is not for urgent care. If you believe you or someone else is in danger, call 000 immediately.
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Ready to talk to a doctor about your cholesterol?
Share your history, speak with an Australian doctor by phone, and understand your next step.
Prescriptions are issued only when clinically appropriate.
Clinical oversightAHPRA registered reviewer
Reviewed for accuracy by a registered doctor
Doccy consultations are provided by AHPRA-registered Australian doctors who are responsible for their clinical decisions. This page describes the condition and our service; it is not personal medical advice. Not every request is suitable for telehealth. For emergencies, call 000.
Medically reviewed byDr. Louis J Sisk
BSc(Hons) MBChB MRCS(Glasg) MTrauma(Dist) APRCSA
Last reviewed 15 September 2026Editorial policy