Questions to Ask Your Practitioner Before Starting Any Prescribed Program

A better way to compare clinics

If you are considering any prescribed program through an Australian clinic, the best starting point is not "How much does it cost?" It is "What should I ask before I commit?"

That matters even more in categories where products may be prescription-only or, in some cases, unapproved therapeutic goods accessed under special pathways. The TGA's framework puts responsibility on practitioner oversight, clinical justification and monitoring, not on consumer marketing: TGA - Prescription medicines and TGA - Unapproved therapeutic goods.

Below is a practical checklist you can use when comparing clinics in our directory.

1. Who is actually responsible for my care?

Start with the basics:

• Which practitioner will assess me?
• What is their registration type?
• Are they registered with Ahpra in the relevant profession?
• Will I be seeing the same practitioner for follow-up, or a rotating team?

This is not about assuming a title guarantees quality. It is about understanding accountability. If the clinic cannot tell you who is responsible for assessment, prescribing and follow-up, that is a process problem.

2. Is the product ARTG-registered, unapproved, or compounded?

This question cuts through a lot of vague language.

Ask:

• Is the medicine an ARTG-registered prescription medicine?
• If not, is it being considered as an unapproved therapeutic good?
• If so, which access pathway is relevant - SAS, Authorised Prescriber, or something else?
• If it is compounded, why is compounding being considered?

The TGA draws a clear distinction between approved prescription medicines and unapproved goods that have not been assessed for safety, quality or effectiveness: TGA - Prescription medicines and TGA - Unapproved therapeutic goods.

If the answer stays fuzzy, keep asking until it becomes concrete.

3. What baseline checks do you require before prescribing?

A clinic should be able to explain what information it needs before making a prescribing decision.

Useful questions include:

• What medical history do you review?
• What current medicines or supplements matter?
• Do you usually request blood work?
• Which baseline risks are you screening for?
• What would make you decide not to proceed?

This is one of the clearest separators between clinics that run a structured consultation process and clinics that mainly sell convenience.

For a fuller picture of the intake side, see what to expect at a peptide-related consultation in Australia.

4. What side effects, adverse events or warning signs should I know about?

Even if a program sounds straightforward, ask the practitioner to explain:

• common short-term adverse effects they discuss with patients
• serious warning signs that should trigger urgent review
• when to stop and seek medical advice
• whether injection-specific risks are relevant
• how side effects are reported and managed

You are not looking for a guarantee that nothing will go wrong. You are looking for a clinic that can explain risk clearly and has a process for managing it.

5. What other medicines, supplements or health issues could interact?

This question is easy to skip and easy to regret.

Ask specifically about:

• prescription medicines you already take
• over-the-counter medicines
• supplements and performance products
• previous allergic reactions
• fertility, pregnancy or breastfeeding considerations where relevant
• liver, kidney, endocrine or cardiovascular history if applicable to your circumstances

A careful practitioner should want this information before making recommendations.

6. What monitoring and follow-up do you require?

This is one of the highest-value comparison questions in our view.

Ask:

• How often are follow-up reviews scheduled?
• Will repeat pathology be required?
• How do I contact the clinic if something changes between appointments?
• Who reviews results?
• How do you decide whether to continue, pause or stop the program?

If the clinic has no clear answer on monitoring, that is a useful signal. In practice, ongoing structure often matters more than the initial consult.

7. What are the total ongoing costs?

Do not stop at the headline consultation price. Ask for the full picture:

• initial consult fee
• follow-up consult fees
• pathology costs
• dispensing or pharmacy fees
• shipping or cold-chain handling if relevant
• administration fees for scripts or repeats
• cancellation or rescheduling fees

A practical clinic should be able to outline a realistic month-one and ongoing cost estimate. If not, it is hard to compare options properly.

8. If I compete in sport, what are the anti-doping implications?

This question is essential for athletes, tested amateurs and some high-performance workers.

Sport Integrity Australia notes that the 2026 Prohibited List includes S2 Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics: Sport Integrity Australia - 2026 Prohibited List.

Ask:

• Could this program affect anti-doping status?
• Should I check the ingredient or medicine through Global DRO or other approved channels?
• If there is a legitimate medical reason for use, do I need separate anti-doping advice or a Therapeutic Use Exemption process?

The important point is that lawful medical access and sporting permissibility are not always the same thing.

9. How is the medicine sourced and dispensed?

Ask the clinic:

• Which pharmacy dispenses the medicine?
• Is it dispensed in Australia?
• Is a regular Australian prescription involved where required?
• Is any overseas importation involved?
• How is product storage and transport handled?

The TGA warns consumers to be cautious about buying medicines online and notes risks including counterfeit products, contamination and incorrect ingredients: TGA - Buying medicines and medical devices online.

A clinic should be able to explain the supply chain in plain language.

10. What happens if I decide not to continue?

A strong process includes an exit path.

Ask:

• Can I stop at any time?
• Is tapering or a review needed before stopping?
• What fees continue after cancellation?
• Will records be shared with my GP if I request it?
• How do repeats or follow-up bookings get cancelled?

This is a simple question, but it tells you a lot about how the clinic handles patient autonomy and admin transparency.

Final takeaway

The best clinic-comparison questions are usually the boring ones: who is responsible, what is being prescribed, what monitoring applies, what it costs, and what happens if problems come up. Those answers tell you more than glossy promises ever will.

If you are comparing clinics that advertise peptide-related consultations, use this checklist alongside our guides on legal status in Australia and compounded medicines, then browse the directory with a clearer idea of what to ask.