Summary
Travellers in Western Queensland are being reminded to carry adequate stocks of their usual prescription medications with them as pharmacies are few and very far between.
Central West Hospital and Health Service Acting Chief Executive Dr David Walker said travellers also should factor in that they might be cut off for days at a time as a result of localised flooding.
“With pharmacies few and very far between in remote areas of the state, regular medications may be difficult to obtain, even without the added hazard of road closures,’’ he said.
“As a rule, when you are travelling anywhere, you need to carry adequate stock of your prescription medications for your entire trip, plus a bit extra in case of delays in travel due to road conditions.
“So, plan and be prepared ahead of time.
“When you require a script to be filled in these remote areas it can be problematic as the closest pharmacy to, for instance, Birdsville, is either Longreach or Mount Isa.
“There may be a significant delay in obtaining your medication from these areas as they also only carry a limited supply. The delay in getting medication to you may be as long as a week.
“Depending on how important regular daily intake of your medication is, this could easily turn into a medical emergency if you have to go some days without it.
“Although our primary health centres, like Birdsville, don’t have pharmacies, we can respond to emergencies and non-life-threatening conditions where you may require medications such as a course of antibiotics.’’
Dr Walker said visitors also should remember to carry documentation such as Medicare and concession cards.
“We also recommend they carry a personal health summary with them or upload their heath record, including any Advance Care plans, to My Health Record before travelling,’’ he said.
“They should also have an up-to-date medication list, along with contact details for their regular GP and key specialists.’’