Tasmania has become the latest state to use electronic prescribing, with TerryWhite Chemmart Prospect Vale in Launceston successfully dispensing medicines via a token model.
This first roll out of electronic prescribing was conducted via communities of interest, something which, according to Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Tasmania Branch President, Ella Van Tienen, is an important first step prior to rolling it out to the wider community.
“The introduction of electronic prescribing will have a big impact on workflow and many pharmacies are in the process of connecting to a prescription delivery service so they can access and dispense electronic prescriptions,” says Ms Van Tienen.
“While some pharmacies will take up electronic prescribing immediately, others will probably need a little bit more time to prepare.
“However, once implemented into pharmacists’ workflow it will streamline dispensing services significantly.”
The PSA is providing support to pharmacies who are preparing for electronic prescribing through a dedicated support line – this service is available until the end of September.
PSA’s specially trained electronic prescriptions team is available to answer questions on electronic prescribing between 8:30am – 7:00pm Monday to Friday on 1300 955 162 or by emailing ep@psa.org.au.
