Why are electronic prescriptions important?
Electronic prescriptions reduce the chance of error during dispensing, which means greater safety and confidence that you are receiving the right medication at the right time.
You will have a better health care experience overall, as a result of improved coordination and management of care between your medical practitioners and pharmacies.
Advances in eHealth technology, such as eRx Script Exchange, are an important step in managing the growing health care costs in Australia.
Your medical practitioner will print a paper prescription with an eRx barcode, or provide an ePrescription. At the same time, the prescription information is sent securely to eRx Script Exchange. When you order your medication, the pharmacist will scan the barcode on your prescription or access your ePrescription and your script information will be brought down from the script exchange, accurately and safely.
Is my information secure?
All your personal and medication information is locked with three levels of encrypted so that it is completely private and secure. Only your medical practitioner and pharmacist can see your information.
eRx acts as an “electronic postman” and is not able to decrypt or see your information.
Can I choose which pharmacy I go to?
Yes, you can take your prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. The majority of pharmacies in Australia are connected to eRx, however if the pharmacy you visit does not have eRx they will dispense your medication manually.
No, eRx is free for patients.
What information is sent?
The prescription information contained in eRx is the same information as your paper or electronic prescription, plus some extra information about the drug itself to help ensure that the correct medication is dispensed to you.
Only the doctor and the pharmacist can see your information. Nobody else, including eRx, the government, or any other third party can see your information. All patient and script information is locked with three levels of encryption before it leaves the doctor’s computer and can only be opened when it is accessed at the pharmacy.
Will my data be provided to anybody else?
No, not unless you specifically ask us to. In the future, we will be able to send your data to third parties to create your My Health Record (MyHR), however this will only be done with your full consent.
Can I choose not to have my prescriptions sent to eRx?
Yes. If you prefer to not have your prescription information sent via eRx Script Exchange, please speak to your medical practitioner or pharmacist.
National Data Exchange (NDE)
The National Data Exchange is a commonwealth government initiative to allow Australian state and territory jurisdictions to provide real time prescription monitoring for their clinicians, The NDE will ingest and distribute prescribing and dispensing information from all states and territories to prevent cross-border drug shopping abuses.
Progressing as a federated model, with jurisdictions adapting their regulatory systems to the NDE, the individual states and territories are responsible for ensuring appropriate regulations are in place to enable RTPM, and the controlled medicines list will be different for each jurisdiction.
Fred IT Group (owner of eRx Script Exchange) was appointed by the Victorian Department of Human Services in November 2017 to develop the state’s first real time prescription monitoring system, called SafeScript.
SafeScript launched in the Western Victorian PHN in October 2018 as part of a phased rollout across Victoria. The platform will utilise real time prescription data captured via the electronic transfer of prescriptions through Medication Knowledge Pty Ltd to monitor high risk medications including schedule 8 and codeine.
In 2016, 372 Victorians died from prescription medication overdose. SafeScript will enable health professionals to deal with this growing problem by providing them with an accurate and up to date picture of a patients prescribed and dispensed medication history. This clinical data will help pharmacists and GPs to identify and support patients who are at risk.
Visit the Health Victoria website for further details on the SafeScript RTPM system.
Medication Knowledge Pty Ltd
Medication Knowledge Pty Ltd is a joint venture between eRx Script Exchange and MediSecure. It will provide a single means of securely delivering prescription and dispense data to the Victorian SafeScript real time prescription monitoring system.
National Data Exchange (NDE)
The National Data Exchange is a commonwealth government initiative to allow Australian state and territory jurisdictions to provide real time prescription monitoring for their clinicians, The NDE will ingest and distribute prescribing and dispensing information from all states and territories to prevent cross-border drug shopping abuses.
Progressing as a federated model, with jurisdictions adapting their regulatory systems to the NDE, the individual states and territories are responsible for ensuring appropriate regulations are in place to enable RTPM, and the controlled medicines list will be different for each jurisdiction.
SafeScript
Fred IT Group (owner of eRx Script Exchange) was appointed by the Victorian Department of Human Services in November 2017 to develop the state’s first real time prescription monitoring system, called SafeScript.
SafeScript launched in the Western Victorian PHN in October 2018 as part of a phased rollout across Victoria. The platform will utilise real time prescription data captured via the electronic transfer of prescriptions through Medication Knowledge Pty Ltd to monitor high risk medications including schedule 8 and codeine.
In 2016, 372 Victorians died from prescription medication overdose. SafeScript will enable health professionals to deal with this growing problem by providing them with an accurate and up to date picture of a patients prescribed and dispensed medication history. This clinical data will help pharmacists and GPs to identify and support patients who are at risk.
Visit the Health Victoria website for further details on the SafeScript RTPM system.Medication Knowledge Pty Ltd
Medication Knowledge Pty Ltd is a joint venture between eRx Script Exchange and MediSecure. It will provide a single means of securely delivering prescription and dispense data to the Victorian SafeScript real time prescription monitoring system.
