Time to Try Electronic Prescriptions in Your Practice
11 Feb 2026
Electronic prescribing lets doctors send prescriptions straight to the pharmacy without using paper. This makes it harder to lose a prescription and easier for patients to get their medicine. Patients can receive their prescription by SMS or email, which has a secure QR code or “token” to pick up their medicine.
The token links to a patient’s Active Script List (ASL), which shows all their current prescriptions, including paper scripts from other doctors. Tokens are safe – they unlock the prescription securely at the pharmacy, and once used, they can’t be used again.
Electronic prescriptions are especially handy for telehealth, letting patients get their medicines straight away. Patients can also send tokens to someone else to collect their medicines, which helps people with mobility issues.
Some patients and doctors find tokens confusing at first, especially if a repeat prescription is involved. The ASL helps by keeping everything organised. Patients can register once at a pharmacy with ID to use the ASL, which can be useful for people on multiple medications, those who travel a lot, or people using dose administration aids.
There are mobile apps to help patients manage their e-prescriptions, including the 1800MEDICARE app, which now shows electronic prescriptions and the ASL.
Not every patient will want an electronic prescription. Some may prefer paper or may not have a phone or email. In these cases, you can print the token, send it to a carer, or provide a paper prescription. Remember, the same medicine can’t have both a paper and electronic prescription.
How to Get Started
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Check your clinical software supports electronic prescriptions and is up to date.
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Make sure your practice has a Healthcare Provider Identifier – Organisation (HPI-O) and is connected to the Health Identifiers Service.
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Ensure all prescribers are connected to the National Prescription Delivery Service.
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Update patients’ contact details, including email and phone numbers.
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Train your staff so they can answer questions about e-prescriptions.
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Stay informed via your software provider and RACGP updates.
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Make sure prescriptions meet legislative and PBS requirements.
Electronic prescribing isn’t mandatory, and paper prescriptions are still available. But it can save time for both patients and practices. If you haven’t tried it yet, 2026 is a great year to give it a go.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: Dr Rob Hosking / RACGP / Australian Digital Health Agency
