Western Australia dispenses first electronic prescription

Western Australia successfully prescribed and dispensed its first paperless electronic
prescription yesterday, bringing Australia’s health care system one step closer to the
successful national delivery of electronic prescriptions.

Plaza Medical Centre and Wizard Pharmacy achieved the State’s first electronic prescription which was prescribed and dispensed in Kalgoorlie.

According to Elise Wheadon, pharmacist at Wizard Pharmacy, who were recently named winners of the 2020 Pharmacy Guild – Excellence in Professional Innovation, “The developments of the past six months have highlighted how much pharmacy, working along with other health professionals, can do to provide greater flexibility and health safeguards for patients, particularly for vulnerable patients.

We were delighted to work with Plaza Medical Centre on achieving the first electronic prescription and progressing digital health here in Western Australia.”

Yesterday’s successful electronic prescription occurred using Best Practice’s medical software system, prescription exchange service eRx Script Exchange, Fred NXT Dispense and MedView Flow. It was based on the “token” model, where the doctor sends the electronic prescription token to the patient by SMS or email.

The patient then forwards or presents their electronic prescription token to their chosen pharmacy for dispensing.

Pharmacist and CEO of Fred IT Group, Paul Naismith said, “The introduction of electronic prescriptions in Western Australia is a terrific example of collaboration and leadership spanning pharmacy, health and software vendors.

A fully digital network will deliver significant benefits for pharmacy and pharmacy patients, and it is extremely gratifying to see Western Australia ready to go with national electronic prescribing. I am proud of Fred’s role – along with our partners – in providing leadership and dedication to achieve this important change.”