Is your general practice or pharmacy connected to the eRx Script Exchange? If not, or if you are unsure, make sure you read below and take action to avoid future ePrescribing issues and/or costs.
In the 2023 May Budget, the Australian Government announced an investment of $111.8 million over four years and $24.2 million ongoing to provide prescription delivery services and related enhancements. This creates certainty for the exchange of nearly 300 million PBS prescriptions each year between prescribers and dispensers.
In May 2023, the Department of Health and Aged Care concluded a Request for Tender for Electronic Prescription Services. The department awarded Fred IT, the parent company of eRx Script Exchange, a four-year contract for the development of a national Prescription Delivery Service (PDS), building on the success of electronic prescribing. This contract commences on 1 July 2023.
Funding of the PDS will replace the existing Electronic Prescription Fee and SMS reimbursement frameworks that have been in place since the introduction of electronic prescribing around March 2020.
30 June 2023: The 15-cent electronic prescription fee (EPF) paid to pharmacies via the Community Pharmacy Agreement will end. However, pharmacies will no longer be charged a 15c fee for eligible prescriptions by the Prescription Delivery Service, therefore maintaining a cost-neutral arrangement.
30 September 2023: While the Australian Digital Health Agency will continue to reimburse the cost of electronic prescribing SMS notifications to 30 September 2023, SMS notifications will then be funded through the national PDS and will only continue to be free for practices and pharmacies connected to the eRx Script Exchange gateway.
Clinicians
If you are connected to eRx Script Exchange and running the latest medical practice software:
- No action required at this time.
If your practice is 1/ not connected to eRx Script Exchange and/or 2/ you may not have the latest medical practice software:
- 1/ Register your practice on eRx http://www.erx.com.au/register
- 2/ Check with your software provider about any software updates you may need to perform.
If you are unsure if your practice is connected to eRx Script Exchange:
- Contact your software provider for more information.
Pharmacists
If you are connected to eRx Script Exchange and running the latest pharmacy software:
- No action by you is required at this time.
- The transaction charges through the PDS and the 15-cent electronic prescription fee (EPF) through Services Australia will end on 1 July 2023.
- PBS Online claiming will pay the 15c EPF for scripts if they have a date-of-supply prior to 1 July 2023.
If your pharmacy service is 1/ not connected to eRx Script Exchange and/or 2/ you may not have the latest pharmacy software:
- Register your service on to eRx on http://www.erx.com.au/register.
- Check with your software provider about any software updates.
If you are unsure if your service is connected to eRx Script Exchange:
- Contact your software provider for more information.
The Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Digital Health Agency and Fred IT will work with software developers, clinicians and pharmacists to support connection to the simplified Prescription Delivery Service.
For more information, read the National PDS factsheet for clinicians and pharmacists or visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website for the latest comprehensive details on electronic prescribing.
For more questions about electronic prescription policy or to share your perspective, please contact [email protected].