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Fred IT Group has been awarded the contract to deliver the next phase of the national electronic prescription delivery service for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Using eRx Script Exchange, the new service will ensure that Australian health professionals and patients continue to have access to a robust, secure electronic prescription network.

According to pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT, Paul Naismith:

“Health professionals and patients have gained substantially from faster and more accurate medication services in the 14 years since Fred launched Australia’s first electronic prescriptions. Doctors, pharmacists and patients will all further benefit from this next phase which streamlines management of the network and encourages ongoing innovation to support health professionals and patients.”

The new service delivers further improvements to all users:

eRx Script Exchange will work with software vendors, prescribers and pharmacies to move to the new arrangements which commence on 1 July 2023.

 

Download media release

Electronic prescription use has surged across Australia from June, spurred on by pharmacies and patients seeking remote and contactless options for medication supply during lockdown.

The increased take-up has seen eRx Script Exchange achieve the milestone of 20 million electronic prescriptions since Australia launched national electronic prescriptions fifteen months ago. More than 28,000 doctors prescribed 10.5 million of those, while 98% of the nation’s pharmacies produced 9.5 million repeats.

The rate of usage has increased as patients and health practitioners have been affected by recurring lockdowns, with the four months from June to September 2021 seeing:

Prescriptions prescribed electronically Jun-Sep21

Electronic prescriptions have been vital in providing patients and health professionals with additional flexibility during COVID-19, including the ability for patients to obtain their medicines without attending a clinic or pharmacy (where delivery is available). Electronic prescriptions have enabled patients in isolation or quarantine to maintain uninterrupted medication supply.

Paul Naismith, pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT, says that electronic prescriptions have been central in enabling pharmacies and patients to adapt to the challenges of lockdown.

"Although we have seen widespread changes in pharmacy practice since the beginning of COVID-19, pharmacies have had to keep adapting to the Delta variant. Electronic prescriptions have played a key role in helping pharmacies manage practical issues around lockdown and social distancing, including reducing the potential time that patients are waiting in-store and reducing the number of people in-store at any one time."

According to Paul, lockdowns have seen patients also increasingly turning to pre-ordering of electronic prescriptions.

"Patients have become more digitally capable during COVID-19 and this is driving rapid change in how they connect with pharmacies. In the past week, 14,000 patients pre-ordered electronic scripts through the MedView Flow network, which means they ordered from home or elsewhere before coming in to collect their medicine. The vast majority of these thousands of pre-ordered prescriptions are click and collect, although delivery services are growing."

Whilst pre-ordering prescriptions has always been possible, the removal of the need for the paper script follow-up has substantially streamlined the process for patients and pharmacies. Where pharmacies are using MedView Flow, electronic script orders are also submitted directly into the pharmacy queue, which further increases efficiencies.

Patients now have access to a range of options for making pre-ordering scripts easier.

The new “How can I get this prescription dispensed?” button on eRx digital tokens (image below) offers an increasing selection of apps and services. The MedView Flow network of 2600 participating pharmacies are receiving prescription orders directly into the dispensary from the following patient driven services:

  • Fast token send with MedView Patient Connect
  • WhatsApp from their My Script List
  • Medication management apps, including MedAdvisor, myPharmacyLink and Medmate

For further information and resources for your pharmacy see ePrescriptions

Download media release >

Fred IT Group will launch prescription ordering via popular messaging service WhatsApp at this year’s APP Conference to be held between 20 and 23 May.

WhatsApp is one of Australia’s most popular messenger apps, and home to the Australian Government’s official Covid-19 channel. The launch of prescription ordering via WhatsApp means that it will be even easier for patients to view and manage their electronic prescriptions. Patients will also now have the flexibility to order their electronic prescriptions via WhatsApp, SMS or email.

Patients will also be able to use WhatsApp to quickly and easily access their My Script List to message their pharmacy to arrange for a prescription to be dispensed. My Script List is Australia’s first active script list, launched in Tasmania in April 2021, and now available to all states and territories. It provides GPs, patients and pharmacies with visibility of all of a patient’s current prescriptions and repeats in one digital list for the first time. The new script list complements the existing methods of the paper script and digital token – the digitised script sent by the doctor to a patient’s email or phone – which was introduced in May 2020.

According to pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT Group, Paul Naismith,

"The addition of WhatsApp ordering makes it significantly easier for patients to manage their medications, and means that a significant number of patients now have the flexibility to choose between using SMS, email or WhatsApp to order their prescriptions. We know that more and more, consumers are favouring one app that they can use for many interactions. As the most widely used chat app in Australia, this means that the WhatsApp options for script ordering will be available to the most people possible"

In 2020, Fred won an Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) Innovation Challenge for its work on developing WhatsApp as a way to enable Australians to easily access their prescriptions electronically.

WhatsApp prescription ordering uses a WhatsApp chatbot and includes end-to-end encryption. Pharmacies using Fred dispensing software have access to WhatsApp prescription ordering. This is available via MedView Patient Connect, which is part of MedView Flow.

Prescription ordering with WhatsApp is being launched at the APP Conference on the Gold Coast (May 20-23). Please visit the MedView & eRx Script Exchange stands (127 and 128) to see it for yourself.

Beyond the paper | ePrescriptions

Electronic prescriptions are now transacting across Australia, with the Northern Territory’s successful dispense of its first paperless electronic prescription on 1 September.

eRx Script Exchange has now successfully enabled electronic prescriptions to be transacted in all Australian states and territories as part of the national network for electronic prescribing and dispensing.

Alice Springs Pharmacy dispensed the Northern Territory’s first electronic prescription. Pharmacy Manager Anandh Vijayan said, “We are extremely proud to have dispensed the Northern Territory’s first electronic prescription. This will make it easier for patients to access their medication. Alice Springs has a large number of tourists and visitors from other parts of the country who will now be able to access medications from their GP while they are visiting. It will also save our pharmacy considerable time that we would otherwise spend dealing with fax copies and having to chase up originals.”

According to Rupert Lee, Acting Chief Operating Officer at the Australian Digital Health Agency,

“Given the remote locations of many patients, prescribers, pharmacies and communities throughout the Northern Territory, the Agency believes that electronic prescriptions will bring significant benefits to many people. With the final jurisdiction now live, we are pleased to see that electronic prescriptions are now being utilised in every state and territory across Australia. Congratulations to everyone involved in this important initiative.”

Pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT Group, Paul Naismith, emphasised the foundational role of electronic prescriptions in a modern healthcare network, saying,

“This is a significant leap forward for healthcare in Australia. The achievement of national electronic prescriptions is vital to modern healthcare delivery based on flexibility for patients and state-of-the-art systems for healthcare professionals.”

“Behind the scenes, this has occurred as a result of enormous industry collaboration across the states and territories. I am extremely proud of the leadership role that Fred and eRx Script Exchange have taken in making this happen, and of the terrific efforts of GPs, pharmacies, and medical and pharmacy software vendors working together to make this available across Australia.”

This week’s successful electronic prescription occurred using Best Practice medical software prescribing system, prescription exchange service eRx Script Exchange, and Fred Dispense with MedView Flow. It used the “token” model, which involves the doctor sending the electronic prescription “token” to the patient by SMS or email. The patient then forwards or presents the code to their chosen pharmacy for dispensing.

Pharmacies and GPs should contact their vendors about turning on the token model in their sites.


Active Script List
With the national network for “tokens” in place across Australia, preparations continue for the launch of the Active Script List this year. The token model and Active Script List will operate side-by-side to provide patients with flexibility in how they digitally access their medications.
The Active Script List will further improve the patient experience by-

Leading Australian prescribing and dispensing vendors collaborate to complete electronic prescription.

Australia’s first paperless electronic prescription in primary care was successfully prescribed and dispensed in Victoria yesterday, marking a significant first step in the national delivery of electronic prescriptions.

The first electronic prescribing and dispensing occurred between Anglesea Medical and Anglesea Pharmacy. It used the “token” model where the doctor sends the electronic prescription along with a code or “token” to the patient by SMS or email. The patient then forwards or presents the code to their chosen pharmacy for dispensing.

According to Dr David Corbet at Anglesea Medical who prescribed the first electronic prescription, “The process is as simple as writing the prescription in the usual manner and, with the consent of the patient, selecting that the prescription is generated as an electronic prescription.”

Pharmacist Jason Bratuskins dispensed the first electronic prescription in his Anglesea pharmacy. He commented, “Our patients and staff have been profoundly influenced by the isolation requirements of COVID-19, and it has been terrific to be part of efforts to re-define how we support our patients with alternative options for fulfilling prescriptions. I was pleased to see that this could sit comfortably alongside our existing processes.”

This week’s successful electronic prescription occurred using the Best Practice prescribing system, prescription exchange service eRx Script Exchange, Fred NXT Dispense and MedView Flow.

Pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT Group, Paul Naismith said,

“The achievement of the first successful electronic prescription in primary care settings is a major step forward in Australia’s provision of a digital network that provides patients with flexibility for how they access their medications. I am very proud of the Fred and eRx teams which, through ongoing innovation and hard work, have achieved this result ahead of schedule in a very challenging work environment.”

CEO of Best Practice, Dr Frank Pyefinch, was thrilled to hear that the first electronic script had been successfully transferred using Best Practice Software, saying,

“Our team has pulled out all stops to deliver this important functionality as quickly as possible and we expect that it will confirm that electronic prescriptions are the way of the future. It is history in the making!”

The token model will work alongside the Active Script List (ASL) to provide patients with flexibility in how they digitally access their medications. This week’s success covered the entire electronic process of the token model: prescribing electronically in Best Practice, providing the patient with a token with the required number of repeats via eRx, sending the dispensing request to the pharmacy, integrating it into the pharmacy’s workflow, based on MedView Flow, and then dispensing in Fred NXT.

Fred CEO Paul Naismith emphasised that ongoing industry collaboration will be vital to the national delivery of electronic prescriptions. Naismith concluded, “The priority from here is to continue approving participating vendor systems and understand what is needed to prepare patients, prescribers and pharmacies for a national system of electronic prescriptions. The token model and ASL are both important components of a national approach which provides patients with the flexibility and security to manage their electronic prescriptions in collaboration with their local prescriber and pharmacist.”

Fred IT Group (owner of eRx Script Exchange) is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by the Department of Health to lead the new national system for real time prescription monitoring which is designed to reduce the devastating impact of prescription medicine overdoses.

According to a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2016 there were 1,808 deaths in Australia as a result of prescription medicine overdoses. The introduction of a national approach to real-time prescription monitoring will play a significant role in preventing prescription medication misuse and saving lives.

Fred’s recent experience in the developing of the Victorian real-time prescription monitoring system, called SafeScript, will be invaluable in extending real-time prescription monitoring to health professionals in all states and territories.

According to Fred CEO and pharmacist Paul Naismith,

I have seen first-hand the anguish that accidental prescription drug overdose can cause to families who have lost loved ones, and am honoured that Fred can take part in developing eHealth systems to reduce the devastating impact of prescription overdose and misuse throughout the community. 

Fred is committed to making medication management safer and more effective for all Australians, and we applaud the Australian government for taking a national approach to this problem. 

Fred will design, build and deliver the software system for the National Data Exchange (NDE) component. This will include working closely with medical and pharmacy software vendors and jurisdictions to provide a consistent user experience for health professionals practicing in different environments and to reflect individual state and territory requirements in the national system.

Click here to view the Fred IT Group media release.

Fred IT Group (owner of eRx Script Exchange) has been appointed to develop a real-time prescription monitoring system called SafeScript by the Victorian Department of Human Services, to help prevent prescription medication misuse and to save lives.

Last year, 372 Victorians died as a result of the overdose of prescription medicines. SafeScript will help health professionals deal with this growing problem by providing them with an accurate and up to date picture of patient prescriptions. This clinical data will help pharmacists and GPs to identify and support patients who are at risk.

According to Paul Naismith, pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT Group,

As pharmacists and health professionals, we see how many people in the community are negatively affected by the misuse of prescription medicine. As a company, we are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work with the Victorian Government on reducing the devastating impact of medications misuse. 

... I am proud that with SafeScript we are able to build on that backbone in a way that will make a real difference to the community.  

SafeScript will be rolled out in Victoria in 2018. It will utilise real-time prescription data captured via the electronic transfer of prescriptions through eRx Script Exchange and MediSecure to monitor Schedule 8 medications and other high-risk medications.

According to Telstra Health Managing Director Mary Foley,

Telstra Health welcomes the opportunity to play a role in this significant Victorian Government initiative that has real potential to save lives. Through our partnership with Fred IT Group’s eRx Script Exchange and in conjunction with MediSecure, we will provide a vital clinical alerting tool and capability to enable doctors and pharmacists to identify and support patients with potential dependency issues with prescription medications.  

Click here to view the Fred IT Group media release.
Read the Victorian Government Media Release: Saving lives: getting SafeScript done in Victoria


What is real time prescription monitoring (RTPM)?


Watch ePrescriptions in action

What our customers think

  • “eRx allows my practitioners to send prescriptions electronically directly to the patient, so they instantly have their prescription. It saves admin time faxing and posting, and allows us more time to focus on helping our patients.”
    – Char MacDonald - Abermain Surgery and NSW/ACT AAPM Committee Member
  • “We love using eRx. It’s great when those barcodes come through, scanning them makes dispensing so much easier. eRx improves patient safety by reducing transcription errors which is important to us.”
    – Alex Keipert - Pharmacy Owner - Mudgee NSW
  • “I commend eRx and ePrescriptions, as it has reduced my workload of printing a minimum of over 100 scripts every week, in addition to having to sign each script twice and having to handwrite the details of the S8 scripts. Also the Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) has helped in checking the status with restricted scripts.”
    – Dr Mario Fernando - Principal GP at Lima Medical Pty Ltd, Bendigo VIC
  • “Just a note to tell you how happy I am with eRx and ePrescriptions. When I scan prescriptions all the information is immediately there and it saves so much time. Also, ctg scripts are caught, (which often get missed as I notice from repeats we get from other pharmacies), which allows us to provide a more efficient service to our customers.”
    – Glenna Hinschen - Proserpine Pharmacy

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