Electronic prescriptions are set to be the standard method of prescribing in Australia, with the model to be trialled in primary care settings in 2026.
Electronic prescribing by default replaces the earlier plan for mandatory electronic prescribing of high-risk and high-cost medicines announced in the 2023–24 Budget.
Under this model, electronic prescriptions will be the standard method of prescribing in Australia.
What is electronic prescribing?
Electronic prescribing is an alternative to paper prescriptions with consumers issued their scripts in person by their doctor or in telehealth consultation sent directly to the patient’s mobile phone or email. Electronic prescriptions are available nationally as a ‘token’ (via SMS or email) or can be added to an Active Script List (ASL).
When will the changes occur?
Electronic prescribing by default will initially be trialled in primary care in 2026 where existing electronic prescribing clinical systems are already in use.
Paper prescriptions will still be available when needed, for example, where a consumer does not have access to a mobile device or if clinical safety requires a paper version.
This change aims to support safer, more connected healthcare with:
- More efficient processes for prescribing and dispensing medicines.
- Reduced risk of errors in prescribing and dispensing.
- Safer use of medicines through digital records and secure transmission.
- Support for electronic medication charts in hospitals and residential aged care.
- Reduced exposure to infectious diseases by allowing contactless processes.
- Streamlined PBS compliance and better recordkeeping for audits.
The trial will monitor outcomes and identify any potential issues, and required adjustments, before expanding the model across all healthcare settings in a broader rollout.
How electronic prescribing works
- A healthcare provider creates an electronic prescription using secure clinical software.
- The consumer receives a unique token (usually a QR code) by SMS or email. The token is the secure key to access to the prescription.
- The consumers presents the token to any pharmacy that supports electronic prescriptions.
- The pharmacy scans the token to view the electronic prescription and dispenses the medicine.
- If the prescription has repeats, then a new token is sent to the patient via SMS or email by the pharmacy.
Further information on electronic prescribing and eP by default can be found on the Australian Department of Health and Ageing website.
