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diabetics in Australia, visa and insulin shipping help???

  • 13-10-2011 1:15am
    #1
    hogan86
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 64 ✭✭


    hi all.

    I am applying for my visa tomorrow to get the process up and running.
    I am a type 1 diabetic an am 24 having diabetes 22 years. i am very well controlled with my last HBA1C being 8.3 and am going in for a checkup again on monday.

    i have been onto usit which were not very much help so am deciding to go with visafirst as they were great help and explained the process. i apply for the visa as normal but haveto send in a medical form stating that i am a diabetic and immigration may or maynot decide if to have me assessed. if i need to be assessed this will involve either an appointment with bloods taken by an australian doctor which is located in the mater hospital, i also attend the matter hospital diabetic clinic,or the doctor will just ask for my last HBA1C from the diabetic clinic.

    Has anyone gone through this before and how best did they get there visa.

    My other question is about bringing insulin with me. from reading on australian government website that i can only bring 3 months supply is this true or can i bring more? was planning on bringing a years supply.

    Also i am looking at getting a family member to ship insulin from ireland to australia by using the likes of DHL or FEDex as my insulin doesnt cost me in ireland but will be expensive in australia. i have checked and there doesnt seem to be any laws stating insulin is a banned substance and can not be imported?

    any help greatly appreciated.

    thanks

    shane:D


Comments

  • #2
    Cooperspale
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 402 ✭✭Cooperspale


    How much will it cost to ship cold chain medicine?
    You would want to try and ship it all in one go obviously.


    Just to give you some details on diabetes needs in Australia, it's a bit antiquated.
    Insulin, no issues really, most people use penfill or flex pen these days.
    You would be entitled to get your prescription under the reciprocal healthcare agreement in Australia. $34.20 for 5x5x3 of lantus solostar for example in any pharmacy though unless it's a busy one, they may have to order in, insulin is expensive and can be bulky.
    Test strip, lancets, needles are best gotten by joining Diabetes Australia, then you go to an NDSS registered pharmacy and I think it's about 15$ per line, depending on what ones you use. Though you could get 3 packs of optium or
    active on that one line but I think that you need to inform them of your usage when you first fill out the application form. With DA, you might actually need a Medicare card also and an ozi Dr to sign off on that initial application form so he is aware of testing frequency etc.

    If I was you, I would definitely bring more than enough strips, lancets,
    needles, glucagon, maybe even a back up lancing device.

    To be honest, I don't know about quantity limits for insulin. You could try and email the TGA.
    I found this,
    http://www.tga.gov.au/consumers/travellers-entering.htm
    They may also have a limit of 3 month on shipping it in, but it's not clear.


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