An electronic prescription is a digital alternative to a paper prescription. When a clinician issues one using conformant Australian prescribing software, a secure token can be sent by SMS or email. You present or forward that token to a pharmacy, which scans it to retrieve the prescription for dispensing.
The eScript process
- A prescriber creates an electronic prescription during a clinically appropriate consultation.
- A unique token, usually containing a QR barcode, is sent to the chosen destination.
- The patient presents or forwards the token to a pharmacy that supports electronic prescriptions.
- The pharmacy scans the token and retrieves the prescription from the secure prescription delivery service.
Is the token the prescription?
The token is the secure key used to access the electronic prescription; it is not the medicine itself. A separate token is generally issued for each prescribed medicine.
If a prescription has repeats, the dispensing pharmacy sends a new token for the next repeat after supply.
What if the token is lost?
For an original prescription, contact the prescriber or service that issued it. For a repeat token, contact the pharmacy that supplied the previous repeat. Do not post an eScript token publicly or share it with anyone who is not helping you obtain the medicine.