GPs asked to wait for pharmacy readiness before issuing eScripts

General practices located outside the electronic prescribing communities of interest regions are being asked to wait until pharmacies in their region are able to accept eScripts before issuing them.

The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has asked GP software vendors to suspend access to ePrescribing functionality in their systems while a plan is worked out to scale the new capability nationally, saying there have been several cases where a consumer has been unable to have their medicine dispensed at their pharmacy of choice.

Best Practice Software revealed last week that it had been asked to suspend access to a utility file that enables ePrescribing in its Bp Premier clinical system.

“The reason why the ADHA has asked us to suspend access to the Utility File is because not all Pharmacies are eScript enabled,” Best Practice told users. “Despite eScripts being an approved legal form of prescription across Australia, we have complied with this request.”

An ADHA spokesperson said that since the first eScript was transmitted in early May, over 10,000 electronic prescriptions have been successfully transmitted, and 13 software products, covering over 80 per cent of those used by GPs and pharmacies, were conformant with eScript specifications.

However, the agency is still working out a plan for scaling nationally with the peak bodies, the spokesperson said.

“As more vendors implement their products in market, word is spreading and we’ve seen strong demand to use this technology,” the spokesperson said. “Some prescribers outside the initial geographies have started issuing electronic prescriptions and there were a couple of cases where a consumer was unable to have a medicine dispensed at their pharmacy.

“While these cases were dealt with promptly by the pharmacy and their vendor, we want an orderly approach to the roll out which limits these sort of issues as pharmacies get prepared.”

ADHA has road tested software implementation with over 30 software products and has issued training materials and programs, changes to prescribing and dispensing workflows, and consumer communications in defined geographical areas, the spokesperson said.

“Some two months since the first implementation, we are nearing the end of this work and are confident that this new digital transaction works well and are in discussion with the PSA, Pharmacy Guild, RACGP and Consumer Health Forum on scaling nationally.

“This will continue the approach whereby local pharmacies should be ready to dispense before GPs in the area start issuing electronic prescriptions. This will avoid a situation where a consumer presents at a pharmacy with an electronic prescription and is unable to get their medicine dispensed because the pharmacy is not yet ready.

“In the meantime, we have requested prescribers outside the initial geographies to wait until pharmacies in their areas are up and running.”

The agency is close to having a large number of pharmacies activated and ready to go, the spokesperson said. It was not part of the strategy that practices wanting to use eScripts were given the green light to find local pharmacies that have the capability.

“The national rollout strategy has always reflected the pharmacy readiness principle, to ensure electronic prescriptions can be dispensed,” ADHA said.

“We’d prefer to ensure this occurs without general practice having to ‘find’ local pharmacies to reduce any burden on general practice but are working through options with peak associations to get a sensible, orderly approach that also recognises the enthusiasm of the sector and community to use this technology.

“We are currently working with the RACGP, CHF, PSA and Pharmacy Guild on the plan for national scaling; considering the capacity of pharmacy software providers, prescription exchange services, and professional education providers in line with ensuring pharmacy readiness. This approach is likely to focus on areas with most need for electronic prescriptions rather than a big bang approach.”

Best Practice said any practices who have already downloaded the utility file in Bp Premier Jade SP3 will not have their ePrescribing functionality affected, and it is at the practice’s discretion as to whether or not to continue to use it or wait for further communication from ADHA.

“Our executive team has been actively lobbying the ADHA and various involved parties to try to find a swift resolution to move forward with ePrescribing. When a resolution or change has been announced, we will update practices immediately.”

ADHA has published a list of software that is conformant with ePrescribing on its website.

The communities of interest are listed here.