This appeared a few days ago.
17 July 2020
E-scripts up and running by end of the month
Clinical COVID-19 Pharmacy Practice Management
Broad use of e-scripts will be available for GPs in all states and territories except Queensland by the end of next week.
The Department of Health has told The Medical Republic that the government’s plan to fast-track the implementation of electronic prescribing, as part of their COVID-19 response, was being rolled out in the coming weeks.
But there is still no word on when e-scripts will be available in Queensland, the only state where the electronic prescribing of medication remains illegal.
E-scripts will allow prescribers to generate an electronic script that is then sent to the patient, or their carer, by text or email.
Patients can then forward their unique token to the dispensing pharmacy of their choice, or present it in person.
The patient doesn’t need a smartphone either, provided they have a mobile device that is capable of receiving text messages, and a pharmacy that is e-script ready.
The long-awaited e-prescription service will be accessible next week with two caveats: GPs will have to upgrade their patient management system to a compatible version, and the dispensing pharmacy must also have the relevant e-script software.
For GPs using the Best Practice (Bp Premier) software, this will mean upgrading to Jade SP3, said company board director, Lorraine Pyefinch.
“At least one practice in each state, other than Queensland, has already set up and trialled e-scripts since June,” she told The Medical Republic.
“As far as we know, it’s all gone very smoothly in the practices that have already tested e-scripts.”
More here:
http://medicalrepublic.com.au/e-prescribing-to-launch-by-end-of-the-month/31712
There is also coverage of progress here:
‘Tassie is joining the brigade of e-scripts.’
One of Tasmania’s first e-prescriptions was dispensed at TerryWhite Chemmart Prospect Vale in Launceston last week, the Pharmacy Guild Tasmanian branch has announced.
This script was part of the token model, which provides patients with a “token”—usually in the form of a QR code—sent to their mobile device or their email.
The pharmacy, owned by Christine Timms, belongs to a ‘community of interest’ that includes pharmacies and general practices in the Launceston area.
AJP understand this is currently the only such community of interest in Tasmania.
“Tassie is joining the brigade of e-scripts. It’s actually happening, and we want to make sure the community recognises doctors may mention it to them,” Monique Mackrill, Tasmanian branch director at the Pharmacy Guild, told AJP.
“Also too with some of these interim measures brought in with COVID-19 around digital prescriptions, fax or email, the onus is on the GP to keep the original script, and faxes create issues for pharmacies too. E-scripts are very timely, although we want people to know they’ll have a still have a choice between e-scripts and paper.”
The token model is set to go live across Australia, outside of communities of interest, in August.
Meanwhile the Active Scripts List (ASL) model is scheduled roll out across the country in October, the Australian Digital Health Agency has confirmed.
The Federal Government announced fast tracking of e-prescriptions in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More here:
https://ajp.com.au/news/tassie-is-joining-the-brigade-of-e-scripts/
So what we have here is trials of a working system in most States with a very limited number of scripts and apparent success when ‘enthusiasts’ doing things.
Now this is all perfectly splendid and more power to their arms, but, given the number of scripts written and dispensed each day we are basically still at the starting line.
It seems to me the next few months will be crucial to see how a much, much fuller roll out can be instigated and managed!
All good so far – lets see where we are in six months before declaring victory!
David.
2 comments:
Thanks David the link in the sentence outlines a number of realities with what the Department is hoping will happen
Meanwhile the Active Scripts List (ASL) model is scheduled roll out across the country in October, the Australian Digital Health Agency has confirmed.
So so much not in place. If the system is not ready and limited in its scope to single prescriptions then I think consumers will be left wanting. That will result in harder to obtain adoption. This also seem very open to human error. Text here, email there, forward here and there.
More haste, less speed.
It might be the Department of Health sees success through a policy/legislative lens rather than technical implementation and adoption. They will declare victory in a few weeks when QLD passes e-prescribing legislation. That in itself is welcomed. I guess the test will be if the Departments of health stay committees to see full implementation and adoption or move onto the next bouncing ball.
As eHealth services move to the cloud this should become far simplistic and focus can be on continued optimisation around Process and workflows.
One can only hope ADHA is focused on the current trend toward ICT service delivery rather than on old-world models, especially as they attempt to coax specialists into there web. They might just discover in a year or two that they are not compatible.
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