ePrescription service fast tracked because of COVID-19
This week a state-first trial will take place that could change the way you get your medication. It comes after the government asked for the program to be fast tracked due to COIVD-19 – and Baysiders will test it out.
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A medical first is set to take place in Bayside that will change the way people deal with their GPs and pharmacists forever.
If a trial of contactless ePrescription is successful it will mean people won’t have to leave their living room to speak to their doctor to get a script, right through to having it delivered to your door.
The trial will take place on Wednesday when Alf Frommer will go through the process of meeting with his doctor from Bluff Road Medical Centre remotely via telehealth, before he sends the script electorincally to Bluff Pharmacy and his medication is delivered to his door in Beaumaris.
MediSecure will run the trial and has developed the process and Mr Frommer’s wife Debbie, who is a sales manager at MediSecure, said one of the reasons the program was being rolled out was because of COVID-19.
“Legislation was passed at the end of October last year so that GPs’s signatures could be digital,” she said.
“But because of COVID-19 the Australian government has wanted the program to be fast-tracked because of the contactless element to it.
“They said not only do we want to fast track this program but we want it completely contactless, so that’s what we’ve done.”
Another company, eRx, has already completed a trial of the ePrescription service, but it wasn’t completely contactless.
But Ms Frommer said MediSecure’s trial will adhere to all social distancing measures.
“That ticks all the protect the health system workforce boxes under the current pandemic situation, and proves that the shift towards a genuinely consumer-centric health system is feasible today,” she said.
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The Steps:
1 The remote consultation takes place between GP and patient
2. Scripts are texted to patient in a coded token.
3. Tokens are sent by SMS by patient to pharmacy.
4. Pharmacy dispenses the medication using the token as the key to access the legal eScript using Aquarius Dispensing Software.
5. Medication is delivered to the patient’s home.