Electronic prescribing
Learn about electronic prescribing for healthcare providers
Over 219 million electronic prescriptions have been issued since May 2020, by more than 85,958 prescribers - GPs and nurse practitioners.
- April 2024
Using electronic prescribing as a prescriber
Electronic prescribing is an alternative to paper prescriptions, giving patients convenient access to their medicines and improving safety by reducing the risk of transcription errors.
Electronic prescriptions can be issued during in-person and telehealth consultations. They are sent directly to the patient as a ‘token’ via SMS or email, or can be added to an Active Script List.
Electronic prescribing is not mandatory. Patients can choose to receive either an electronic or a paper prescription (but not both).
To generate an electronic prescription, you will need the capability built into your clinical information system. Check if your clinical information system is conformant.
Benefits of adopting electronic prescribing
The benefits extend to the patient, healthcare provider and, more broadly, the healthcare system.
- Supports delivery of telehealth services to ensure continuity of patient care.
- Maintains patient privacy and integrity of personal information through token encryptions and data-protection measures.
- Reduces the risks associated with lost paper prescriptions.
- Reduces administrative burden for healthcare providers.
The electronic prescribing process
- A patient requires a prescription and has chosen to receive it as an electronic prescription.
- You issue the patient an electronic prescription token via SMS or email.
- The patient takes or shares their electronic prescription token with their preferred pharmacy.
- The pharmacy scans the token to view the electronic prescription then dispenses the medicine.
- If the prescription has repeats, the pharmacy issues a new token to the patient via SMS or email.
Patients can choose to have their next repeat dispensed at a different pharmacy. All they’ll need to do is present the new token when more medicine is needed.
Safeguards are in place to prevent patients from using their token at multiple pharmacies.
The token itself is not the legal prescription. It is the evidence of a prescription.
Once a pharmacy scans the token and dispenses the medicine, it becomes invalid and cannot be reused. The National Prescription Delivery Service will lock a patient’s prescription as soon as it is accessed, so no other pharmacy can dispense it at the same time.
What is an Active Script List?
An Active Script List (ASL) is a token management solution that contains a consolidated list of a patient’s active prescriptions.
Benefits of an ASL
- Patients no longer need to keep track of SMS or email tokens as this information will now be stored in one consolidated list.
- It overcomes the issue of misplacing tokens and the need for them to be reissued.
- It may be more convenient for patients who take multiple medicines.
How ASL works
Initially, a patient will need to visit their preferred prescriber or pharmacy to register for an ASL. They may be asked to provide 100 points of identification (PDF, 83.08 KB) in addition to accepting the terms and conditions, agreeing that all prescriptions will go to their ASL unless they withdraw their consent.
The patient can also request an ASL linking code, which is used when linking their ASL to apps they use to manage their electronic prescriptions, such as 1800MEDICARE app.
Once the patient is registered for an ASL, they can use it at any pharmacy, provided they give initial consent for that pharmacy to access their ASL.
Outlined below are the steps for using ASL after the patient is registered.
- When you issue a prescription to the patient, it is automatically added to their ASL unless they request otherwise. The patient does not need a token but can request to receive one.
- The patient visits the pharmacy. Instead of presenting a token, they confirm their identity.
- The pharmacy confirms the medicine is listed on the patient’s ASL and dispenses it.
- Any repeats are automatically added to the patient’s ASL.
Check with your software provider to ensure your software product has ASL functionality.
State and territory regulations
The same regulations for prescribing and supplying medicines exist for both paper and electronic prescriptions. Clinicians are required to adhere to the National Health Act 1953 and relevant state or territory regulations when prescribing and supplying medicines using an electronic prescription. This is particularly important for controlled medicines. Please contact your relevant jurisdiction for more information.
Education and training
eLearning modules
Free CPD accredited online training can assist with providing an introduction to what an electronic prescription is, how it is prescribed and dispensed, the benefit of Active Script List, and the policy requirements and legislation that underpin the process.
Find out about:
- Electronic prescriptions and Active Script List in your practice
- Introduction to Active Script List for prescribers.
Webinars
Register for a free webinar for healthcare providers to learn more about electronic prescribing in your practice, as well as other digital health topics.