PHARMACISTS, prescribers and patients should not be expected to cover costs associated with electronic prescriptions, under future arrangements for the system, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, believes.
The Department of Health and Aged Care confirmed that it will continue to "reimburse the cost of electronic prescribing SMS notifications" for original and repeat e-script tokens until 31 Mar, or the conclusion of its Request for Tender (RFT) process for the provision of e-script delivery services.
The 15 cent e-script fee will also be maintained until the end tender process is finalised, but Tassone told Pharmacy Daily that there has been no change management support to help pharmacies roll out the system.
"Community pharmacies have gone to great lengths to implement electronic prescriptions into their practices at a fast rate, during a global pandemic with no support from the Commonwealth in terms of the purchase of additional IT equipment or change management," he said.
"Whatever arrangements are finalised through the RFT process for e-scripts, there cannot be any cost for users of the system be it: prescribers, pharmacies or patients.
"There is a myth needing busting within the Department of Health that electronic prescriptions have somehow generated significant workflow efficiencies and other benefits for community pharmacies.
"To the contrary, e-scripts have created another additional challenge and pressure for pharmacy staff to incorporate.
"Despite providing previous proposals and submissions to the Department of Health for financial and other support for community pharmacies to support the change management of implementation of electronic prescriptions, none has been forthcoming.
"The Guild is in the process of finalising another proposal to the Department to help support pharmacies in digital enablement of the electronic residential medication chart (eNRMC) in aged care facilities.
"Again, there is a false assumption that pharmacies will be great beneficiaries from the introduction of the eNRMC into aged care and not needing any support with the focus of any financial incentives needing to be focused solely on the aged care facility themselves.
"All the while, the pharmacy is significantly changing their workflows and ways of doing practice often at a significant financial and time cost to work around the needs and requirements of aged care facilities."
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