Electronic prescriptions
An electronic prescription is a digital version of a paper prescription: the prescriber sends a link to a QR code, called a token, by SMS or email, and the pharmacist scans it to dispense the medicine. An Active Script List is the alternative to juggling tokens, a digital list of your electronic prescriptions that a participating pharmacy can open with your consent.
One token per medicine · a new token for each repeat
From the consultation to the repeat
This is the sequence as the Australian Digital Health Agency and healthdirect set it out.
Choosing it in the consultation
You can choose an electronic prescription instead of a paper one when you next need a prescription. healthdirect notes you may need to ask for one during the appointment.
The token arrives
A link comes by SMS or email; behind it is the token, a QR code unique to that prescription. Each medicine has its own token, and the agency recommends making sure it has come through before leaving the consultation.
At the pharmacy
Scanning the token lets the pharmacist retrieve the prescription, which is held in an encrypted delivery service, and the medicine is dispensed. The agency suggests deleting a token once it has done its job.
Or sending it ahead
A token can be forwarded to a pharmacy so the medicine is ready to collect, or delivered if the pharmacy offers delivery. It can also be forwarded to a family member, carer or friend to collect for you.
The repeat
Each repeat gets its own fresh token, sent by the pharmacy by SMS or email, and that is the one used for the next supply. healthdirect notes a printed paper repeat is also possible on request.
| Question | Tokens on your phone | Active Script List |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One QR code per medicine, sent by SMS or email. | A digital list of your electronic prescriptions and barcoded paper prescriptions. |
| What you take to the pharmacy | The token for that medicine. | Nothing to scan: at a participating pharmacy you give consent for staff to open your list. |
| How you start | Choose an electronic prescription in the consultation. | Register at a pharmacy with a mobile phone and 100 points of identification. |
| New prescriptions | A new token arrives each time. | Added to the list automatically, unless you speak with your doctor about keeping some off it. |
| Someone collecting for you | Forward them the token. | An agent or carer can be recorded against your list. |
healthdirect suggests the list suits people on more than two medicines, since no token has to be produced at each visit. A parent or carer can help run a child’s list until the child turns 15; from 15, young people manage their own.
Common questions
- What if the message with the token is deleted?
- It can be sent again. For an original prescription the agency points to the prescriber; for a repeat, to the pharmacy that issued it.
- How long is an electronic prescription valid?
- As long as a paper one. In most cases that is 12 months, but it can be shorter for some medicines and can depend on state or territory law.
- Do all pharmacies accept them?
- Most community pharmacies in Australia are set up to dispense from electronic prescriptions, according to the agency.
- Can every medicine be prescribed this way?
- Most medicines can, according to both the agency and healthdirect.
- What if I don’t have a mobile phone?
- The agency’s page suggests speaking to the healthcare provider about other options.
- Is a barcoded paper prescription the same thing?
- Not quite. With a barcoded paper script, the pharmacy still needs the paper itself: the agency explains that the law requires it before the pharmacist can supply the medicine.
- Can tokens be managed in an app?
- Yes. The agency notes that tokens can be managed in a mobile app, and that some pharmacies have their own; an Active Script List can be linked to an app with a code from your pharmacy.
Why the system exists
Because the token lives on a phone or computer, the agency says, it can be used whenever it suits and there is no paper script to misplace, which it counts as a gain for medicine safety. healthdirect credits eScripts with fewer errors in prescribing and dispensing.