How do I prepare for the appointment?

• STOP taking antihistamines 4 days prior to your consultation and any medications with antihistamines (if you are unsure please call us when you receive this letter).

• Complete the new patient form for Dr Caroline Foreman 

Please Bring:

• Medicare card

• Previous results/studies relevant to your consultation

• Referral letter from your GP or Specialist (or please confirm we have received your referral from your doctor prior to appointment)

• For food allergy please bring a small piece of each food you would like to test (eg kiwifruit)

What should I expect during the appointment?

Please allow adequate time for the initial appointment. If skin testing is required, up to 2 hours maybe needed. There can be several steps involved on the day.

Nurse:

• Prior to seeing Dr Foreman, you will be seen by a nurse who will ask you some questions and perform some observations including blood pressure.

Dr Foreman

• Dr Foreman will ask you questions about your symptoms and your conditions in detail and may recommend skin prick testing with the nurse.

Skin prick testing:

• During the skin prick testing, the nurse may provide some education around your condition.

Discussion and education

• Once skin prick testing is performed, most people see Dr Foreman again to discuss treatment and her recommendations.

What costs are associated with my first appointment?

Payment is required in full on the day of appointment. Medicare will refund some of the cost if you have an in-date referral.

The usual initial consultation fee is $423.39 including a gap amount of $172.74, please note this fee may differ depending on complexity of the service.

Skin prick testing fee is $133.60 with a gap of $97.15. Skin prick testing can only be done with a consultation. 

Please note, as appointments are in high demand, there will be a fee for those who cancel with minimal notice period. 

Can I still take my antihistamines?

No.

The following medication interfere with skin testing so please do not take them for 3 days prior to your appointment 

• Fexofenadine (eg. Telfast)

• Cetirizine (Zyrtec)

• Loratidine (Calratyne)

• Desloratidine (Aerius)

• Promethazine (Phenergan)

• Dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine)

• Cyproheptadine (Periactin)

However, if you feel that you are unable to function without these medications, you should continue to take them and we can discuss other options for testing during your appointment. Do not stop any other regular medications.

Is Dr Foreman seeing new patients?

New patients with scheduled appointments will be seen at the arranged time.

However, due to unacceptable wait times, Dr Caroline Foreman has closed her books for new patient bookings until further notice. This means you will need to take your referral to an alternative Allergy specialist for an appointment. Please see the ASCIA website for appropriate alternatives https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/locate-a-specialist/sa