Health care in remote areas

Cape York, the Northern Peninsula Area and the Torres Strait are remote areas of Queensland.

This means:

• you may need to travel to visit a health care facility in person
• most of our communities don't have pharmacies
• getting medicines or other supplies into the region can take some time.

It's best to be prepared before you come to the region. Make sure that you know where to go if you need care, and what to do about your regular prescriptions or other health care needs.

Find your nearest health care facility

See our list of hospitals and facilities.

You can also find GPs, dentists, and other services on healthdirect.

Pharmacy services

Northern Peninsula Area (NPA)
When visiting Seisia, Injinoo, Bamaga, Umgico and New Mapoon, your nearest pharmacy is Bamaga Pharmacy

Torres Strait Islands
When visiting the Torres Strait, the nearest pharmacy is Thursday Island Pharmacy

Cooktown and surrounding communities
For Lockhart River, Coen, Hope Vale, Laura, Cooktown and Wujal Wujal, your nearest pharmacy is Alive Discount Pharmacy in Cooktown.

Weipa and surrounding communities
For Mapoon, Weipa, Napranum, Aurukun, Kowanyama, Pompuraaw, your nearest pharmacy is LiveLife Pharmacy in Weipa.

Prescriptions

Make sure you bring plenty of your own medications when visiting our remote communities.

Keep an eye on how much you have. If it looks like you'll run out while you're here, we suggest that you get your prescription to a pharmacy 2 weeks in advance.

You will need to either:

• go to a pharmacy in person with your prescriptions
• call a pharmacy to ask for the medicines to be sent to you.