Your Laverty Pathology Visit: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

In Australia, most pathology tests require a GP referral on a Medicare-approved form. Your doctor will hand you a physical or electronic requisition listing the test codes (e.g. 'FBE, EUC, LFT, lipids, TSH, testosterone'). The Laverty form uses a unique barcode printed at the point of care — do not fold or crease it. If your GP sent an electronic referral, Laverty can look it up by Medicare number at the front desk; you don't need a paper copy.

Check the form before you leave the clinic. Confirm your name, DOB, and Medicare number are correct. A mismatch causes delays — sometimes hours. If you see 'fasting' ticked or written next to any test, do not eat or drink anything except water for at least 10 hours before your appointment.

FORM clients visiting Australia can request a private requisition (no Medicare number required) that covers the same panels. Private pathology means no rebate but no GP referral step — ideal for visitors or people who want to add tests their GP didn't order.

Laverty operates over 200 collection centres. Most are open Mon–Fri 7:30 am–5:00 pm, with selected locations open Saturday mornings until noon. Fasting bloods should be drawn before 10 am — morning cortisol, testosterone, and glucose are all time-sensitive. The Laverty website (lavertypathology.com.au) has a branch finder with real-time wait times at major centres.

You can book online for most non-urgent tests. Walk-ins are accepted everywhere. Busy urban centres (Parramatta, Chatswood, Brisbane CBD) often have 20–40 minute waits without a booking; suburban centres are usually under 10 minutes. If you're fasting, go first thing and book ahead — waiting hungry is not fun.

Bring: your requisition form (or Medicare number for eReferrals), your Medicare card, and a valid photo ID. If you don't have a Medicare card (e.g., you're a visitor on a working-holiday visa), Laverty can still collect — the result goes to your requester and you pay out-of-pocket.

At the front desk you'll hand over your paperwork, have your ID checked, and be assigned a barcode label for your tubes. The phlebotomist calls you into a collection room — it takes 3–8 minutes depending on how many tubes are needed. A standard metabolic panel uses 2–3 tubes (typically a red-top SST, an EDTA purple-top, and a sodium fluoride grey-top for glucose). A full FORM-style panel with testosterone, hormones, and thyroid can need 5–6 tubes — all drawn in one sitting.

Tell the phlebotomist if you have difficult veins, are prone to fainting, or if you are on blood thinners. They will apply pressure for longer and may use a butterfly needle if your veins are small. Post-draw: hold the cotton ball firmly for 2 minutes, avoid heavy lifting with that arm for 4 hours.

Fasting rules apply only to specific tests — glucose, HbA1c, lipid panel (triglycerides especially), and fasting insulin. Testosterone, PSA, thyroid hormones, FBE, and most other markers do not require fasting. When in doubt, fast — it never hurts accuracy.

Laverty sends results electronically to the requesting doctor through the Medical Objects or HL7 network — usually within 24–48 hours for routine tests. You do not receive results directly unless your doctor has opted into a patient portal or you use the Laverty Health app (available from their website).

Urgent flags (critical values — e.g., potassium > 6.0, haemoglobin < 70) are phoned to the doctor immediately. For non-urgent results, your GP will typically call you within 2–3 business days. If you haven't heard in 5 business days, call the surgery — results can sometimes sit in an inbox.

For FORM clients: we receive your results through our private network and Dr. Nikola reviews and returns them to you with a structured interpretation — what's optimal vs. what lab software flags as abnormal are often two different things.

Routine bloods (FBE, EUC, LFT, lipids, TSH): 24–48 hours. Testosterone and sex hormones: 24–48 hours. HbA1c: 24 hours. PSA: 24–48 hours. Cortisol (AM): same day at many centres. Specialized tests (e.g., free testosterone by equilibrium dialysis, IGF-1, DHEA-S): 3–5 business days, as these may be batched and sent to a reference lab.

STI panels (chlamydia/gonorrhoea PCR, HIV Ag/Ab, syphilis serology): 2–5 business days. Vitamin levels (D, B12, folate): 24–48 hours. Genetic tests ordered through Laverty: 4–12 weeks depending on complexity.

If you need results urgently (e.g., pre-surgery), ask your GP to mark the form 'URGENT' — most Laverty centres can turn around a basic panel same day with this flag.

Most tests ordered by a GP attract a Medicare rebate under the MBS (Medicare Benefits Schedule). You pay nothing out-of-pocket at a bulk-billing Laverty centre if you have a valid Medicare card. Laverty bulk-bills the majority of its collections for Medicare card holders.

Non-Medicare tests (e.g., private add-ons, some advanced hormone tests) cost $20–$150 each out-of-pocket. Ask Laverty for a quote before drawing if cost is a concern. If you're an expat without Australian Medicare coverage, all tests are private pay — typically $50–$300 for a panel depending on complexity.

Important: Medicare rebates require a referral from an eligible provider (GP, specialist). Self-requested tests or employer-mandated tests are not rebatable. The FORM private requisition system bypasses this but does not attract a rebate.