About your appointment

• Initial consultation cost is $250 (with a medicare rebate of $75.05 with a valid referral). If biopsies or other procedures are needed, additional costs are involved. Read more…
• Please bring your referral (if you have one), so we can inform your doctor of the outcome of the consultation, and so you can obtain your full Medicare rebate.
• Please see this map for directions. There is no parking on site. See here for parking and other transport tips.
• Save time at your appointment by completing your enrollment form in advance. Complete it here

At Toowong Dermatology we work hard to keep our service accessible, and try to keep our waiting list as short as possible. If you think you have a problem that requires urgent attention, please see your GP first who can contact us to arrange an earlier appointment.

Wherever possible, we also endeavour to accommodate country and overseas-based patients during their short stays in Brisbane.

• Your referral.
• Your Medicare card.
• If you are a new patient, please complete the new patient enrolment form prior to your appointment. If can be completed on arrival on paper, but completing it online now will ensure you have more time available for your appointment.
• Biopsy tests, blood tests, other test results, past documentation, X-rays, etc., that might relate to your consultation.
• Any photographs of your condition, especially if it comes and goes.
• Makeup remover and make-up, where needed / appropriate (see below).

If you wear makeup, and you are having a full skin check (for skin cancer), or having a consultation regarding a rash involving the face, please make sure you are not wearing makeup at the time of your appointment.  If you are coming straight from work, remember to bring makeup remover, and makeup to reapply after your appointment.

If you are having a check for skin cancer/ suspicious mole or spot, your dermatologist will usually offer a full skin check.  Although it is usually very helpful to you, if you do not wish to have a full skin check, please feel free to mention this.

A full skin check helps is the assessment of any individual spot, as it appearance in comparison to other spots on your body adds useful information.  It also helps identify any skin cancers or suspicious spots that you may not have noticed elsewhere on the body.

A full skin check involves examination of the skin not covered by your underwear/ bra.

It is in your best interest to obtain a referral to Toowong Dermatology from your GP. You should do this before booking your appointment with us.

Please remember to bring your referral at the time of your initial consultation.

A referral is very helpful for many reasons.  It helps us best address the problem that concerns you and your doctor, provides us with a history and information on past treatments, and helps us be aware of any other health problems or medications which may influence your diagnosis and appropriate treatment. A referral ensures that your doctor will receive a report of your consultation, helping to keep your health record with your GP complete and up to date.

A referral also allows you to receive the maximum rebate applicable for your first and subsequent consultations when you claim your visit from Medicare.

A referral from a GP generally lasts for 12 months for the specified skin condition at your first consultation.  A referral from another specialist is valid for only 3 months. An indefinite referral or referral for periods longer than 12 months is only for the original condition specified by your doctor. These referrals are to be used where patients require regular, long-term follow-up, i.e. every three to four months, to allow you to obtain reimbursement at a specialist rate from Medicare.

A new referral is required if you seek treatment for a different problem, or if your past referral has lapsed.

Whilst you may see a dermatologist without a referral (e.g. if you are not entitled to Medicare benefits, or you are happy to forego the Medicare benefit), we still generally encourage you to have a referral, as this helps us provide better medical care for you.

Conditions considered of purely cosmetic nature do not attract a medical benefit, and do not require a referral.