The federal government will allow GPs to claim long telephone consultations for Covid-19 antiviral prescribing but only temporarily, signalling it is unlikely to budge from its decision to remove MBS items for phone consults lasting longer than 20 minutes.

Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced on the weekend that temporary MBS items would be made available to cover a longer consultation by phone to ensure antivirals are safely prescribed by doctors and that patients start taking them within five days of symptoms.