How eScripts work for patients, doctors and pharmacists — step through it below, including how repeats and My Health Record fit in. Or check when your eScript expires.
An eScript (electronic prescription) is a digital version of a paper prescription. Instead of getting a physical piece of paper, your doctor sends a token (a unique code or QR code) to your phone via SMS or email. You show this token at any pharmacy in Australia to collect your medication.
eScripts are legally equivalent to paper prescriptions. They are sent securely, and you choose which pharmacy to use — not just your usual one. If you lose a token it can often be re-sent by the prescriber or pharmacy. Alternatively, an Active Script List (set up at a pharmacy) lets you collect without a token.
General information about how the system works — not medical advice. Software and pharmacy set-ups vary.
These are often mixed up, but they are three different things:
Can be lost or damaged. Must be taken to the specific pharmacy that holds your repeats. Can't be filled remotely. Requires a physical visit to your GP for the paper.
Held electronically, and a lost token can often be re-sent. Use at the pharmacy you choose. Works with telehealth appointments. Can be forwarded to someone else to pick up your meds. Repeats tracked digitally.
Yes. You can ask your doctor for a paper prescription if you prefer. However, most GPs have switched to eScripts as the default, and eScripts are especially useful after telehealth appointments where you don't physically see the doctor. For any one prescription you get either an eScript or a paper script, not both.
The eScript token can be sent via SMS to any phone (including non-smartphones). You just need to show the SMS to the pharmacist. Alternatively, you can receive it via email and print it, or you can ask for a paper prescription instead.
Yes. You can forward the eScript token (SMS or email) to a family member, carer, or friend, and they can present it at the pharmacy on your behalf. This is especially useful if you're unwell or immobile.
Each medicine on an eScript has its own token. When there are repeats, the pharmacy sends a new token by SMS or email after each supply, so each supply uses the latest token. The total number of supplies is the number of repeats plus the original supply.
If you use an Active Script List, the next supply is already on your list and no new token is needed. Sources: Australian Digital Health Agency; ACRRM; Fred IT Group (vendor documentation).
Yes. Unlike paper prescriptions where your repeats are held at a specific pharmacy, eScripts can be used at any pharmacy in Australia. This means you can fill your script wherever is most convenient — near work, near home, or while travelling.
Keep the SMS or email that contains the token, or take a screenshot of it. Some pharmacy apps may also hold tokens — ask your pharmacy. If you use an Active Script List you do not need to keep tokens. A lost token can often be re-sent by the prescriber or the pharmacy that issued it.
You do not need a Medicare card to receive an eScript, but the doctor’s software asks for your IHI (Individual Healthcare Identifier). People enrolled in Medicare or with DVA are assigned an IHI automatically; people who are not can apply for one from Services Australia.
One software vendor says a Medicare card is only needed for PBS-subsidised eScripts, and that a private (non-PBS) eScript needs only an IHI. Whether a medicine is PBS-subsidised depends on eligibility — see pbs.gov.au. A paper prescription needs neither an IHI nor a Medicare number. Registering for an Active Script List may need an IHI linked to a Medicare number (vendor documentation). eScripts issued in Australia are for use in Australia only.
Sources: Practice Assist fact sheet; MediRecords (vendor); Department of Health FAQ; Fred IT Group (vendor). Details vary by software — ask the clinic.
The Active Script List and My Health Record are separate: you can have an Active Script List without a My Health Record. If you have a My Health Record, dispensing details can appear there — PBS supplies from Medicare claims data, and private-script records depend on the pharmacy. You can hide, delete or restrict prescription documents in your record. Details vary by software and pharmacy; ask your pharmacist or call the Australian Digital Health Agency on 1300 901 001. See My Health Record.