The Australian government will continue shouldering the SMS cost for e-prescriptions until 30 June 2022.

WHY IT MATTERS

Subsidies are specifically provided for costs related to the issuance of e-prescription tokens. SMS costs are incurred each time a prescriber writes an e-prescription and sends a token to a patient's mobile phone.

The subsidy extension comes after prodding by the Australian Medical Association, which has been calling on the Health Department and the Australian Digital Health Agency to develop long-term solutions to avoid passing those costs onto prescribers.

Earlier, the provision of subsidies was supposed to lapse at the end of March but was extended until 30 June.

THE LARGER TREND

There are other means for prescribers to issue digital prescriptions without incurring costs, such as the Active Script List system. Among providers, Fred IT introduced in May its My Script List solution that combines a patient's e-prescriptions in one digital list, removing the need for prescription tokens. 

According to the AMA, the Health Department and ADHA are also working on a mobile app that will enable GPs to send scripts to patients without the need for tokens.

Australia launched e-prescriptions in May last year. While there is no government mandate to issue them, the ADHA found that e-prescription issuance has topped 12 million as of June this year. The agency said there are over 22,000 prescribers in the country issuing digital prescriptions and at least 98% of all community pharmacies are dispensing them.

ON THE RECORD

"Now that the Active Script List is expanding in its availability to consumers across Australia, more health professionals and consumers will also be able to use this token management solution that will not incur the SMS charges. Innovations across the digital landscape will offer other alternatives as more digital health initiatives become a reality over time," the AMA said in a news update to its member GPs.