Prescription for compounded melatonin products after a free telehealth consultation
Fast AusPost delivery straight to your door
Ongoing support & repeat prescriptions available
👉 Book online here: https:/www.nightlydose.com.au
We’d love your feedback as we launch, so please feel free to ask any questions below.
Thanks for supporting a new Australian telehealth service!
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Nightly Dose Telehealth & Pharmacy
Yes I know, hence asking if they are trying to take over from all the people that used to buy through iHerb
Previously a big fan of iHerb myself, they’ve helped a lot of people access supplements easily. Since their recent announcement about changes to shipping melatonin, we just wanted to offer an alternative in the interim that’s local, regulated, and prescription-based.
Definitely not trying to take over, more about giving families another safe option while the landscape shifts. If access improves again in the future, that’s a win for everyone.
This sounds like such a dodgy pointless loophole. Surprised its just not made over the counter instead of calling random telehealth places that will sign anything off for you anyway.
I totally get why it might look like a loophole. For context — in Australia, melatonin is a Schedule 4 (prescription-only) medicine, which means by law it can only be supplied with a script (unless >55 years old). There have been ongoing discussions about making it more accessible, and personally I support easier access where it’s safe.
Right now though, the only legal way is via a prescription, which is why telehealth or your local GP is still required. Our service just aims to make that process smoother for families who otherwise struggle with access.
Its not, my kids doc recommended Melatonin Gummies. They are suspended because idiots gave too many to their kids.
Not questioning the use of Melatonin.
Questioning the point of calling a random person on the phone whom will dispense whatever medicine you ask for, as long as you pay.
mmmmm sounds dodgy
Jesus those prices are insane. $100 for 100 2mg tablets.
It is unlikely that the "free telehealth consultation" is covered by medicare, so the price of the melatonin is inflated to cover the cost.
My recommendation is to find an integrative GP who can take a holistic approach to your healthcare.
The whole point of going to iherb was because they have dosages much higher than 2mg.
iherb has stopped selling melatonin in the Australian market
Wow since when, what's a better alternative
A week or so ago. It's due to the large amount of overdoses of people in Australia on melatonin. It's likely over platforms will follow. I think you can still buy them for now on eBay / Aliexpress, but you take a risk in the product being fake (and possibly dangerous).
More info on the ban
A solution. From that post it seems Custom compounding do scripts for ~$130 for a 6 month supply of 5mg. This maybe a decent solution (or worth saving) as things progress
We used iherb because they had 100 tablets for 7 bucks. Equivalent in Australia is $60. We didn't need high dosage, just didn't want to/can't afford to pay monopoly prices.
Yeah I should have expanded more, it's insaley cheaper as well. I have a years supply of 20mg for like $40. (I cut them in half so really I have two years)
You should be right until a competitor emerges or their policy changes at least.
It's just insane they can ship to individual customers across the world and still make a profit on 7 bucks, but you can't buy it in Australia for less than 10,000% markup.
@SuBw00FeR: Can only hope it's temporary while they figure out a better way. Maybe it will drive some local competition too? I much prefer supporting Australian businesses and people but there is a limit to what I will pay to do that.
@Rogue01: Oh 100%, if I can I will buy australia, im on a bunch of meds and use a local pharmacy instead of a chain. But I need to look out for myself too.
Such a weird concept for a doctor to be so in bed with a company directly selling pharmaceuticals. I guess there mustn't be a statute against it but it gives me bad vibes.
that's how a lot of the medical cannabis clinics operate. only prescribe their own products through their own pharmacy.
Sounds like the Vet's insane 600% markup on medication for my dog!
My undertstanding is you can always go to a different pharmacy and get generic or another brand of the same thing (unless the doctor explicitly specifies no substitution).
The prescription locks you into the pharmacy, and most charge fees to release the script.
@frondono: For real? That sounds borderline American. I haven't used a GP in quite some time, but when I have had physical scripts before you could always go to any pharmacy; it didn't have to be the one attached to the medical centre.
@tenpercent: Yeah a one stop shop of taking your money, they sell their own imported products in their own pharmacy, and can only prescribe their own products. in business it's called vertical integration.
60mls of tart cherry juice can help.
Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality
Background: Tart Montmorency cherries have been reported to contain high levels of phytochemicals including melatonin, a molecule critical in regulating the sleep-wake cycle in humans.
Conclusions: These data suggest that consumption of a tart cherry juice concentrate provides an increase in exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women and might be of benefit in managing disturbed sleep.
I understand iherb wont sell in to Australia anymore, but this pricing is a joke.
NOW Foods, Melatonin, 3 mg, 60 Veg Capsules:
AU$6.84‎ ($0.114 per capsule)
Nightlydose Melatonin Immediate Release Tablets 2mg 100 tablets:
$100 ($1.00 per tablet)
Last prescriptions I filled locally were $60 for 30 tablets. This deal may not be the cheapest, but it is an easy alternative while things get sorted with iherb. If their prices aren't competitive, vote away, and maybe/hopefully they'll meet the market. I appreciate their apparent honesty in some of the replies here and can't really fault them for giving the hole in the market a shot. Sheeting on them immediately isn't encouraging progress 🤷
NIGHTLY DOSE GROUP - Business name registered 31 August 2025. Seems to be a doctor looking to capitalise on the recently iHerb announcement.
Other compounding services seem to do a 6 month supply of 5mg for around $130 shipped Australia wide. This service seems much more expensive than other compounding pharmacys (~$100/100 pills)
From Dr Matts Reddit post
"These pharmacies can make melatonin to your doctor's exact script. One such pharmacy, National Custom Compounding on the Gold Coast, has been suggest by other families. (Not a testimonial, provided as an example only)
https://customcompounding.com.au/
​How it works: You send them your prescription, and they create the medication and mail it directly to you.
​Nationwide Shipping: They confirmed they ship Australia-wide via express post, so your location is not a barrier.
​Potential Cost: While you need to get a direct quote with your script, users have reported paying around $130 for a six-month supply of 5mg melatonin capsules, including postage. This is a massive saving compared to both the standard pharmacy route and even some online retailers."
That’s true — compounded melatonin prices vary widely.
Our service includes:
Free telehealth consult with an Australian GP
Compounding in multiple forms (liquid for children, capsules, etc.)
Pharmacy dispensing + AusPost delivery
Ongoing clinical support and repeat prescriptions
We may not be the cheapest bulk option, but we’re aiming to make it safe, convenient, and compliant with local prescribing rules.
Free telehealth consult with an Australian GP
Is it bulk billed though?
Can I take my script from your GP to other pharmacies?
For now, we are not charging any consultation fees currently as we get started. We do not bill medicare and so it technically is not bulk billed. You can take the script to other pharmacies.
Wouldn’t meet the criteria to bulk bill.
is your melatonin derived from animal brains or is it lab-made?
I will have to look into that for you!
Just be aware that melatonin doesn’t have great evidence for sleep. It’s marketed heavily that way but the evidence doesn’t strongly support this - the evidence is a little stronger as a sleep aid for the elderly.
(I have several friends who use melatonin with kids and they say it works but any placebo like sugar pills may work just as well - but whatever works and doesn’t harm is fine by me)
The evidence for melatonin helping with jet lag is pretty solid as well. (Should be instant release, not sustained release)
You’re absolutely right, the evidence for melatonin in general insomnia is mixed. The strongest research is in older adults (where natural melatonin production declines) and in children with neurodevelopmental conditions (like ASD/ADHD), where studies do show improvements in sleep onset and duration.
Our approach is to always assess whether melatonin is clinically appropriate, and to pair it with behavioural sleep strategies (routine, environment, screen use, etc.), since those make the biggest long-term difference.
Appreciate you raising these important points, it’s an important discussion to have.
Some stats for those inclined:
https://adc.bmj.com/content/103/12/1155
I have several friends who use melatonin with kids and they say it works but any placebo like sugar pills may work just as well
I hadn't heard of the placebo effect by proxy. It sounds intriguing and even more perplexing than the placebo effect.
I think sugar would have the opposite effect. Unless it causes a crash afterwards. You'd have to time giving the sugar pills a while before bed time.
If done correctly, most people already have the prescriptions through their pediatricians. You're only providing melatonin for people who don't follow this process.
The reason iHerb was beneficial was because the price made it more affordable than compounding clinics. I've used them myself for my AuDHD daughter.
What a way to scam and make money out of people.
Totally fair point, if you already have a paediatrician or GP prescribing melatonin, then getting it through them and filling it at your usual pharmacy is the simplest option. Having that continuity of care is ideal.
Our service is really for families who struggle with access (long waits, difficulty getting repeats, private gap fees or needing liquid formulations most pharmacies don’t stock).
Amazon US are still selling melatonin, mine is on the way
Tags: Autism, Doctors, Insomnia Relief, Melatonin, Prescription, Sleep Aid
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My kids doc recommends Melatonin Gummies but couldnt find them.
Gr8 more $$$ wasted on the NDIS wrought, if parents decide to have severely disabled kid$$$, then they should pay for those Kid$$$$ not society, thats not really a responsible and fair thing to do… NDIS will cost more than Defence and Medicare budget…its the biggest $CAM
NDIS is like most government schemes: a bloated and wasteful money pit with all the usual leeches and scammers sucking the teet for everything they can get and it doesn't help that they built in private outsourced middle men as a feature…
But FFS! 99.99999999999999999% of parents do not "decide to have severely disabled kids". What a numpty argument against the wastefulness and largesse of the NDIS.
Isn't Melatonin ridiculously expensive in Australia?
My kid's doctor recommended a trial of it, but said to order from the US.
Why the fuss over iHerb stopping? There are plenty of others, including on Amazon.
You trying to take over from iHerb?