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During Operation Pangea XVII, the Australian Border Force (ABF) referred over 9,500 medicine imports to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for assessment, leading to the seizure of more than 5.2 million units of unlawfully imported therapeutic goods, the largest national seizure recorded among participating countries.
Many medicine imports are stopped because they do not meet Australia’s documentation, quantity or permit requirements, while others involve prohibited, counterfeit or unlawfully imported therapeutic goods.
This article covers why shipments get rejected and three ways to secure customs clearance on your next consignment.
Book customs clearance for your regulated medicine shipment with Couriers & Freight.
Get a Quote NowIf you need assistance managing customs requirements for a regulated medicine shipment, Couriers & Freight prepares documentation and manages clearance before your goods arrive in Australia.
Most medicine shipments are rejected at the Australian border because they do not meet import requirements rather than because the medicines themselves are prohibited. When your shipment is held, your business faces storage fees, delayed delivery schedules, and potential destruction of stock.
Documentation issues, quantity limit breaches, and missing import permits account for most compliance problems. ABF and the TGA assess whether imported therapeutic goods satisfy Australia's customs and health regulations before releasing them.
Shipments are more likely to be stopped if they contain restricted products such as prescription-only medicines, controlled drugs, medicinal cannabis products, or therapeutic goods containing scheduled substances without required approvals.
Pro Tip: Mismatched declarations or incomplete paperwork force authorities to detain consignments for manual verification. Confirming which category applies before dispatch keeps compliant shipments out of manual review.
Confirm all required prescriptions and supporting documents before dispatching medicines to Australia. Prescription medicines imported under the TGA's Personal Importation Scheme generally require a valid prescription from an Australian-registered medical practitioner or other evidence that satisfies scheme requirements.
Place a physical copy of all supporting documentation inside the parcel. Attaching paperwork only to a commercial invoice or email often leads to processing delays. You must also declare medicines accurately to the ABF during shipment lodgement.
For example, a business shipping repeat prescription medicine to an Australian customer risks impounded cargo if the parcel contains only a foreign prescription. Checking documentation before dispatch prevents your goods from sitting idle in customs warehouses while authorities verify compliance.
To prepare your shipment:
Before sending medicine to Australia by post, confirm that the shipment complies with the TGA's Personal Importation Scheme.
In most cases, an individual may import no more than a three-month supply in a single shipment, based on the recommended daily dose, and no more than 15 months' supply over 12 months.
Shipments above these limits may fall outside the Personal Importation Scheme and require a different TGA approval pathway before importation.
Declare all medicines, including over-the-counter products, accurately when lodging shipments with the ABF. Over-the-counter medicines may not require a prescription, but they must still comply with Australian import restrictions. Accurate lodgement data allows border authorities to clear your shipment without unnecessary holds.
To minimise delays:
Some medicines cannot be imported into Australia without approval from the relevant government authority, regardless of the quantity being shipped.
Controlled substances such as narcotic and psychotropic drugs, medicinal cannabis and certain anabolic or androgenic substances may require an ODC licence, import permit or both before importation.
These permits are issued by the Office of Drug Control for controlled substances, while the TGA regulates the import of therapeutic goods under its legislative framework.
Import permits cannot be issued after a shipment arrives at the border. Attempting to ship restricted goods without prior approval will result in immediate rejection and potential legal penalties.
For companies that regularly import medicines, working with a customs broker or freight specialist helps identify permit requirements, review documentation, and coordinate customs clearance before goods reach the border.
Before shipping, make sure you:
Compliant shipments can still face costly delays if customs documentation contains errors or missing data. Couriers & Freight provides customs clearance for businesses importing regulated therapeutic products into Australia. The service can help prepare import documentation and coordinate customs clearance requirements before regulated goods arrive in Australia.
Arrange customs clearance through Couriers & Freight before your consignment reaches Australia.
Book customs clearance for your regulated medicine shipment with Couriers & Freight.
Get a Quote Now
MHP
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$16.50
$14
$15.50
$0
$15.50
$14.75
$0
$0
$0
$0
MHP Large Item
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$16.50
$75
$62
$62
$60.10
$14.75
$0
$0
$0
$0
Residential Pickup
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$6
$0
$9
--
$9
$10.60
$0
$0
$0
$38.50
Reidential pick up 30-99kgs
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$63
$0
$9
$0
$9
$74.15
$20
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Residential pick up 100kgs+
No Surcharge*
$198
$0
$9
$0
$9
$158.87
$50
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Residential Delivery up to 29kgs
No Surcharge*
$6
$0
$9
--
$9.00
$10.60
$0
$0
$0
$38.50
Residential Delivery up 30-99kgs
No Surcharge*
$63
$0
$9
$0
$9
$74.15
$20
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Residential Delivery 100kgs+
No Surcharge*
$198
$0
$9
--
$9
$158.57
$50
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Tail Lift Pick up 50-99kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$45
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Pick up 100-299kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$85
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Pick up 300-499kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$120
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Pick up 500kgs + Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$250
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery 50-99kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$45
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery 100-299kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$85
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery300-499kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$120
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery 500kgs + Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$250
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Dead weight over 32KGS carton freight
No Surcharge*
$16.50
$75
$70
$70
$70
$14.75
$0
Won't carry
Won't carry
$0
Oversize Surcharge 1.20 - 1.54
No Surcharge*
--
$0
$0
$0
$0
$5.40
$10
$15
Won't carry
$0
Oversize Surcharge 1.55 - 1.85
No Surcharge*
$17
$20
$0
$0
$0
$11.93
$10
$15
Won't carry
$0
Oversize Surcharge 1.86 - 2.20
No Surcharge*
$37
$40
$0
$0
$0
$11.93
$10
Won't carry
Won't carry
$0
Pallet Surcharge
No Surcharge*
--
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Won't carry
Won't carry
$0
Hand Unload Fee Carton
No Surcharge*
--
$0
$70
$70
$70
$47
$0
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Western Australia Regional Surcharge
No Surcharge*
%10
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
*Surcharges may apply to areas/deimensions not listed
**Prices correct of 16th September 2024
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