At Walker Street Doctors, we are skilled at providing iron infusions for our patients with iron deficiency, when oral iron preparations are ineffective or cannot be tolerated. Iron is an essential element required for the oxygen-carrying capacity of haemoglobin in red blood cells and of myoglobin in muscle tissue. It also plays an important role in many other vital processes in the human body. The aim of the therapy is to replenish body iron stores and to remedy iron deficiency.
Iron infusion appointment are 20 minutes long with your preferred doctor and the nurse in which Ferinject is administered intravenously. Prior to your appointment your doctor will text you a prescription for ferinject which can be dispensed at any pharmacy.
There is a flat fee of $250 for iron infusion appointments, which includes the consultation and equipment used. This is Medicare rebateable service and the current rebate is $82.90.
When dispensed via prescription on the PBS, the cost of Ferinject (iron carboxymaltase) is reduced to $31.60 for two vials of 500mg in 10ml. One vial only is administered at a time, diluted in 100ml saline. You can store the remaining vial for subsequent use or we can store it for you.
In general, intravenous iron therapy will be followed up with daily oral iron supplementation (even if at a very low dose which is tolerated), and a repeat blood sample for retesting of iron stores, four weeks after treatment.