A plain-English guide to the stages, what symptoms are commonly described, what treatment categories exist in Australia, and how the new Medicare Menopause Health Assessment (item 695, introduced 2025) works.
Most patients don't know this exists. From 2025, your GP can bill a dedicated 20-minute menopause and perimenopause health assessment (MBS item 695, schedule fee $104.55, 100% benefit). It's available once every 12 months if you're experiencing peri/menopause symptoms or being treated for them. You can ask for it by name.
The Australasian Menopause Society notes the average age of menopause in Australia is 51, with a typical range of early 40s to mid-50s. Menopause before age 40 is called premature ovarian insufficiency; before age 45 is early menopause. Surgical menopause (removal of both ovaries) and treatment-induced menopause (chemotherapy or some medications) can also occur at any age.
Source: Australasian Menopause Society, What is menopause? patient information sheet (menopause.org.au); RACGP Aged Care Clinical Guide (Silver Book) — Menopause.
The list below describes what's commonly reported in the Australasian Menopause Society and Jean Hailes for Women's Health patient resources. Not everyone experiences all of these — patterns vary widely. Symptoms can persist for several years, sometimes longer.
Source: Australasian Menopause Society patient information sheets (Symptoms of menopause, Menopause and bone health, Menopause and cardiovascular disease); Jean Hailes for Women's Health — menopause hub (jeanhailes.org.au); RACGP Red Book, 10th edition.
There's no single "right" treatment for menopause. Whether anything is appropriate, and what kind, is a clinical conversation with your GP. AskMyGP doesn't make individual recommendations — the categories below are what the Australasian Menopause Society lists as available in Australia.
Medications containing oestrogen, sometimes combined with a progestogen (or, in one product, a synthetic alternative). Available in Australia in multiple forms:
Many MHT preparations are PBS-listed (general copay $25.00 / concession $7.70 per script as at March 2026). Current listings are at pbs.gov.au. The Australasian Menopause Society publishes a Types of MHT available in Australia patient information sheet that lists current preparations.
Source: Australasian Menopause Society Types of MHT available in Australia; PBS Schedule March 2026.
There's an ongoing shortage of oestradiol (HRT/MHT) patches in Australia that is expected to continue through 2026. To help, the Department of Health extended a Serious Scarcity Substitution Instrument (SSSI) to 28 February 2027 — this lets your pharmacist dispense an alternative brand or strength of patch without a new prescription, where appropriate, so you may not need to see your GP first for a like-for-like swap. Some products (such as Climara) have been discontinued, and the TGA has approved some overseas-sourced products as substitutes.
What to do: talk to your pharmacist first — they can often substitute an equivalent patch on the spot. See your GP if you need to change formulation (e.g. patch to gel or oral), if no substitute is available, or if your symptoms change. Don't stop MHT abruptly without advice.
Source: Australasian Menopause Society MHT Shortages page and Guide to MHT Doses (Australia); TGA Medicine Shortage Reports; Department of Health Serious Scarcity Substitution Instrument (extended to 28 Feb 2027). Verify current status — shortages and substitution rules change.
The Australasian Menopause Society's Non-hormonal treatment of menopausal symptoms information sheet describes options that may be considered when MHT isn't appropriate or wanted, including certain antidepressants (some used off-label for hot flushes), gabapentin, and newer agents recently approved for vasomotor symptoms. Suitability depends on individual circumstances and is a clinical decision.
The Australasian Menopause Society, Jean Hailes, and RACGP all discuss lifestyle factors that interact with menopause symptoms and cardiovascular/bone health post-menopause — physical activity, alcohol intake, sleep hygiene, smoking cessation, weight management. The Practitioner's Toolkit for Managing Menopause (Monash University), referenced in the MBS explanatory notes, covers the evidence base.
Many products are marketed for menopause symptoms. The Australasian Menopause Society publishes an information sheet on Complementary & herbal therapies for menopausal symptoms summarising the evidence base for individual products. Quality and dose consistency vary between products. Talk to your GP about anything you're taking or considering — some have interactions with prescription medications.
From 2025, Medicare has a dedicated item for a 20-minute menopause and perimenopause assessment. It's separate from a standard consultation and covers history, examination, investigations, management discussion, and preventive care advice in one structured visit.
Source: MBS Book July 2026, item descriptors 695 (GP, fee $104.55) and 19000 (prescribed medical practitioner, fee $83.60). Explanatory note AN.14.3. Legislative basis: Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Menopause and Perimenopause Health Assessment Services) Determination 2025.
AskMyGP doesn't give individual medical advice. But several scenarios appear in the Australasian Menopause Society and RACGP resources as warranting a conversation with your doctor:
For symptom support outside of consultations, Jean Hailes for Women's Health (jeanhailes.org.au) is a federally-funded national women's health service with free patient resources and an information line.
About this page: Last updated May 2026. Sourced from official Australian references (RACGP menopause guidance, TGA product information, and the MBS item 695 descriptor). AskMyGP provides information, not medical advice. For decisions about your own health and treatment, see your GP — the new MBS item 695 is one option for that specific conversation.