Pharmacy Daily | Possible e-S8 mandate

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the Department of Health might mandate electronic transmission of Schedule 8 (S8) drug prescriptions in the “near future”. The department advised Queensland pharmacies that it would not accept paper submissions of S8 prescriptions dispensed on or after 01 Feb (PD 26 Feb). Young said the department had been receiving both paper and electronic formats, which caused an unnecessary administrative burden on pharmacies and the department. The policy change phased out parallel submission of paper copies, as the department moved towards fully electronic record transmission and management systems, Young said. “Electronic transmission of this information has already been taken up by the majority of Queensland community pharmacies over the last 10 years.” Pharmacies which did not use electronic dispensing systems would still be able to submit paper prescription copies to meet regulatory obligations, she said. “However, the Department may mandate electronic transmission of this information in the near future with the possibility of ‘real-time’ reporting of controlled drugs being considered.”

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