Finding reliable health information in Australia

Health information is easy to find and harder to judge. This page does not give health information itself. It explains the questions credible Australian bodies suggest asking of any source, how the main parts of the Australian health system fit together, which national lines to call when something is urgent, and where to take a complaint, with links to official sources.

This is a free, non-commercial reference page. It is general information only, not medical advice, and it does not recommend any treatment, product, practitioner or service. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). For health concerns, see a GP or another registered health practitioner. This page is not affiliated with any government body or organisation listed, and listing is not an endorsement. Check current details with the official websites linked below.

The guide

How to judge health information online, how the Australian system works in outline, where to go when something is urgent, and how to make a complaint.

Who is responsible for the information?

The Victorian Government's Better Health Channel suggests first checking who is responsible for a website's content. It says every affiliation should be clearly shown on the home page or through a link from it, that you should be especially wary if the people responsible are anonymous, and that the owners should be contactable. A consumer fact sheet from the Health Care Consumers Association of the ACT, based on tips the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care developed with consumers, asks whether information is written by experts and whether it is Australian.

Is it backed by evidence?

Better Health Channel suggests looking for references and checking whether they come from reputable organisations or publications, whether the content has been reviewed, ideally by independent professionals, whether benefits and risks are both discussed, and whether more than one option is presented. University library guides often teach a similar checklist; the University of Queensland Library's reliable health information guide uses the CRAAP test: Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose.

Is it current?

Health guidance is revised over time. Better Health Channel asks whether information is recent and regularly updated, and whether each article is dated. An undated page, or one whose review date is many years old, is harder to rely on.

Is someone selling something?

Better Health Channel asks whether sponsors are directly influencing the content and whether the site is selling something, noting possible conflicts of interest and that advertising should be clearly separated from information. The ACT consumer fact sheet lists trying to sell you something, or making you feel scared, as warning signs. Better Health Channel also notes that no checklist is foolproof and suggests discussing online information with your doctor.

GPs and finding a service

A general practitioner (GP) is usually the first point of contact for non-urgent health concerns in Australia. healthdirect, a government-funded service run by Healthdirect Australia, has a free online service finder that searches health services, including GPs, by service type and suburb or postcode.

Medicare and bulk billing

Medicare is the Australian Government's public health scheme. The Department of Health explains that bulk billing means you pay nothing when you see a GP because Medicare covers the full cost of the service, that it is up to the individual doctor whether a patient is bulk billed, and that not all GPs bulk bill all of the time. If a service is not bulk billed, you pay the fee and can claim a refund from Medicare. The department suggests bringing your Medicare card to appointments.

The PBS

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is an Australian Government program, published by the Department of Health, under which the government subsidises the cost of medicine for most medical conditions. Most listed medicines are dispensed by pharmacists. Some medicines that need medical supervision are generally given at specialised services, usually hospitals.

Private health insurance

Private health insurance can cover ambulance transport, hospital stays and extras such as optical and dental, according to healthdirect. The Commonwealth Ombudsman manages PrivateHealth.gov.au, where you can compare policies from every Australian health insurer, and handles complaints about private health insurers, brokers, and providers where a private health insurance arrangement is involved. It advises trying to resolve a complaint with your insurer first.

Checking a practitioner's registration

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) keeps a public register of every health practitioner registered to practise in Australia in 16 professions, including medical practice, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, psychology, physiotherapy, dental, chiropractic, osteopathy and Chinese medicine. Ahpra says that when a practitioner's name appears on the register, you know they are allowed to practise; the register also shows the type of registration and any conditions that limit practice. Not all health workers belong to a registered profession.

Medicines and the ARTG

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) keeps the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), a public, searchable database of medicines and other health products that can be lawfully supplied in Australia. Medicines included in the ARTG must show an AUST number on the label, also called the ARTG ID. The TGA states that medicines with AUST R and AUST L(A) numbers are assessed for efficacy, while those with AUST L numbers are not. Searching the ARTG for a product's AUST number shows its entry, sponsor and, where available, consumer documents.

When it is urgent

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). For health advice at any hour, the healthdirect helpline is 1800 022 222, available 24 hours. For poisoning or a suspected poisoning, the Poisons Information Centre gives telephone advice 24/7 on 13 11 26 from anywhere in Australia (for people, not animals). For crisis support, Lifeline is available 24/7 by phone on 13 11 14, by text on 0477 13 11 14, or by online chat; Lifeline says to call 000 if life is in danger.

Making a complaint

Each state and territory has an independent health complaints body: the Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW), the Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria), the Office of the Health Ombudsman (Queensland), the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (South Australia), the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (Western Australia), the Health Complaints Commissioner (Tasmania), the ACT Health Services Commissioner at the ACT Human Rights Commission, and the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission (Northern Territory). Ahpra explains that these bodies can accept complaints about health service providers and usually aim to resolve the dispute, while Ahpra and the National Boards deal with concerns about an individual registered practitioner and can act on registration. Complaints about private health insurance go to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

Directory

Official Australian sources for health information, regulation, state health services and urgent support, instead of a list of products or practitioners. Each entry was checked against its own official website.

What is listed. Only government bodies, regulators and established national support services whose page could be fetched and checked are included, and each link goes to that body's own page. The list is not complete and is in no particular order. No products, clinics or practitioners are listed.

Not an endorsement. Listing is not a recommendation. This page is not affiliated with any organisation below and does not give or review health advice.

Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement. Links are to official websites as published at the time of checking.

Questions to ask of any health information source

Plain questions worth answering before relying on a website, article, video or social media post about health.

Who wrote it, and who owns the site?

Look for named authors, their qualifications and the organisation behind the site. Be especially wary if the people responsible are anonymous or cannot be contacted.

What evidence is it based on?

Look for references to reputable organisations or publications, and whether the content has been independently reviewed.

When was it written or last reviewed?

Check for a publication or review date. Guidance changes over time.

Is anyone selling something, or paying for the content?

Check for sponsors, affiliate links or products for sale, and whether advertising is clearly separated from information.

Does it give a balanced picture?

Reliable sources usually discuss both benefits and risks, and more than one option, rather than promising a single answer.

Is it Australian, or does it apply here?

Medicines, services, costs and rules differ between countries. Check whether a product is in the ARTG and whether a practitioner is on the Ahpra register.

Have I discussed it with a health professional?

No checklist is foolproof. A GP or other registered health practitioner can say whether general information applies to you.

About this page

healthguide.com.au is a free, non-commercial reference page published by Radiant Life Distributors Pty Ltd, Adelaide. It is a signpost to official sources, not medical advice, and it does not recommend any treatment, product, practitioner or service. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any organisation listed, and listing is not an endorsement. Information was checked against official websites in October 2026; phone numbers, names and guidance change, so confirm current details with the organisations linked above. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).