Most Australian pharmacies are now registered to receive electronic prescriptions, making it easier to dispense and keep records of scripts. Electronic prescribing is another step in the journey towards a more modern, connected healthcare system.
What is an ePrescription?
An electronic prescription is a prescription which is created and sent electronically, rather than on paper. This means that instead of writing a prescription by hand, a healthcare professional can use a computer or tablet to create and send the prescription directly to a pharmacy. This can save time and reduce errors, as well as allowing for prescriptions to be sent remotely.
- Token
A token is a small piece of data which can be used to access electronic prescriptions. Tokens are typically used to ensure only authorised healthcare professionals can access and view a patient’s prescriptions. Tokens can be sent via text message or email and can be used to access the patient’s prescriptions from any device which has internet access.
- My Script List
My Script List (MySL) is an Active Script List (ASL) developed by the Department of Health and Aged Care. It is a list of all the prescriptions which have been issued for a patient, including the medication name, the dosage and the number of refills. The list is updated in real-time and can be accessed by authorised healthcare professionals, including GPs and specialists, to ensure the patient is receiving the correct medications and dosages. This also allows for better coordination of care between different healthcare professionals.
Who can access My Script List?
MySL is perfect for patients with multiple scripts as the patient no longer needs to handle multiple tokens on their phone to show the pharmacist. The patient can walk into any pharmacy, give consent for them to access their script list, and have that pharmacy dispense their medicines.
Learn more about the benefits of electronic prescriptions via this video.
How do I set up my medical practice for ePrescribing?
- MediSecure and eRx are the two Prescription Exchange Services (PES) available in Australia.
- Practitioners should ensure they are registered with eRX or MediSecure and have ePrescribing activated in their existing clinical software.
- Provide your patients with information on MySL and assist them to register if your clinical software is enabled. Alternatively advise patients to register via their local pharmacy.
- For further information on ePrescribing download FAQ for Doctors
- Contact your software provider for information on prescribing ePrescriptions and registering your patients for MySL in your clinical software.
Would you like more information?
Information for prescribers Information for patients and caregiversIf you have questions about setting up your practice for ePrescribing, please contact our Digital Health team:
DigitalHealth@swsphn.com.au