AHPRA strengthens guidance on ‘good practice’ for telehealth prescribing
08 Oct 2025
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has released new telehealth guidance that goes further than existing Medical Board of Australia (MBA) advice, stating that doctors should only prescribe medication after a face-to-face consultation.
The update, issued on Tuesday, is described by AHPRA as being consistent with the MBA’s current guidelines, but the language is noticeably stronger. The new statement defines “good practice” as “only prescribing if you’ve consulted with the patient face-to-face before.”
By comparison, the MBA’s existing guidelines, introduced in September 2023, say that prescribing or providing healthcare without a real-time consultation — whether in person, by video or by phone — is “not good practice and not supported by the Board.”
The change has raised questions about the future of online prescribing businesses, which have rapidly expanded in recent years.
An AHPRA spokesperson told newsGP that the updated guidance is designed to help practitioners meet both their patients’ needs and their professional responsibilities. While face-to-face consultations are considered best practice, AHPRA acknowledged there may be situations where a practitioner can justify an alternative approach that is still safe and appropriate.
The regulator said the update confirms that all practitioners are held to the same standards when providing safe and effective telehealth services.
The move comes amid ongoing concern about “vertically integrated clinics,” particularly in the medicinal cannabis sector. Recent AHPRA case studies have highlighted examples of poor prescribing practices, and new guidance has been issued for both prescribers and pharmacists.
AHPRA also pointed to growing evidence of issues such as over-servicing, ethical concerns in single-purpose clinics, and an increase in emergency department presentations related to medicinal cannabis-induced psychosis.
The regulator emphasised that responsibility ultimately rests with individual practitioners to justify their clinical decisions, regardless of their employer’s policies.
Medical indemnity organisations Avant and MDA National were asked for comment on potential implications for GPs working in telehealth models. Avant did not respond in time for publication, while MDA National declined to comment.
The MBA guidelines remain in effect and are reviewed at least every five years.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly one in four Australians (23.6%) used telehealth services in 2023–24, including 19.7% who consulted a GP. AHPRA reported that complaints and notifications related to telehealth increased to 586 in 2024–25.
