Do you prefer ePrescribing or paper prescriptions?
01 Jul 2025
Do you use electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) and Active Script Lists (ASL)? Do you talk to your patients about the benefits of ePrescribing and ASLs?
We would love to hear from you about your experience with ePrescribing and ASL.
What is ePrescribing?
ePrescribing is a convenient alternative to paper prescriptions. An electronic prescription is a prescription which is created and sent electronically, rather than on paper.
This means that instead of writing a prescription by hand, GPs can use their clinical software to create and send the prescription directly to their patient via SMS or email.
The patient takes their electronic prescription token to the pharmacy which scans the token to view the electronic prescription and dispenses the medicine. If the prescription has repeats, a new token is sent to the patient via SMS or email by the pharmacy.
What are the benefits of ePrescribing?
- makes prescribing and dispensing medicines more efficient
- removes the need for handling and storing a physical paper prescription
- supports telehealth services
- maintains patient privacy and integrity of personal information
- provides greater choice for patients
- reduces the risk of lost paper prescriptions
What is Active Script List?
The Active Script List (ASL) is another benefit of using ePrescribing.
An ASL is a digital list of all your patient’s current active electronic prescriptions and barcoded paper prescriptions.
When you issue your patient with a prescription, it is automatically added to their ASL.
The next time your patient visits their nominated pharmacy, the scripts can be accessed directly from the ASL without the need for the patient to present the token. If there are repeats, they will be automatically added to the ASL, unless the patient chooses to have them sent as a token via SMS or email.
What are the benefits of the ASL?
- patients no longer need to keep track of the SMS or email tokens, this information is stored in one consolidated list
- it overcomes the issue of misplacing token/s and the need for them to be reissued
- it may be more convenient for patients who take multiple medicines
Find out more at digitalhealth.gov.au