Electronic prescription or e-script are issued by doctors to patients’ smartphones, to cut down on the need to visit GP’s surgeries.
About 400,000 e-scripts has been issued by doctors for their patients since May last year year, according to the Australian Digital Health Agency.
But pharmacist Lyly Tran said some elderly patients were struggling with the technology.
“It is a challenge for seniors if they do not have a smartphone, are not confident to use it, or they don’t know how it works,” said Ms Tran, proprietor of Entrada Pharmacy.
Ms Tran said awareness on the benefits of using e-scripts must be initiated by local doctors because she believes the elderly “are concerned about privacy and don’t want to use it because they do not know how to use technology.”
Sydney’s five million residents have been given access to e-scripts to protect them from COVID-19 infections, NSW Health said.
The e-script was legislated for legal use by pharmacies should patients choose to use it during the Coronavirus pandemic so they don’t miss out on prescribed medications for acute or chronic illnesses while avoiding crowded premises.
The traditional paper script is still widely used but if a patient agrees to go paperless and use e-script from their doctor, the script is created and sent to any of the 3000 pharmacies using it.
The patient immediately receives a unique QR barcode and sent by SMS on their smartphone or by email that they show their pharmacists along with proof of valid personal identification.
The QR code is unlocked and scanned through the pharmacist’s secure electronic prescription delivery service.
A patient’s family member or agent can collect the medicine for as long as they can show a verified copy of the QR barcode.
However, patients must be aware QR codes cannot be re-sent if they lose their phone or accidentally deleted the coded SMS.
To get it back, you will need to ask your doctor to cancel the lost electronic prescription and issue a new one.
