Welcome to Western Sydney Business Access

 fb tw yt in 

Elderly patients have been reluctant to take up e-scripts. Elderly patients have been reluctant to take up e-scripts. Featured

ELDERLY SLOW TO EMBRACE DIGITAL SCRIPTS

Technology a barrier for some, say phamacists
ELIZABETH FRIAS
ELDERLY patients in Western Sydney have been reluctant to take up e-scripts for their medications, an option that was launched in May 2020.
Electronic prescription or e-script are issued by doctors to patients’ smartphones, to recuce the need to visit GP’s surgeries.
 
About 400,000 e-scripts has been issued by doctors for their patients since May last year year, according to the Australian Digital Health Agency.
 
But Parramatta pharmacist Lyly Tran said some elderly patients were struggling with the technology.
 
“It is a challenge for seniors if they do not have a smartphone, are not confident to use it, or they don’t know how it works,” said Ms Tran, proprietor of Entrada Pharmacy.
 
Ms Tran said awareness on the benefits of using e-scripts must be initiated by local doctors because she believes the elderly “are concerned about privacy and don’t want to use it because they do not know how to use technology.”
 
Sydney’s five million residents have been given access to e-scripts to protect them from COVID-19 infections, NSW Health said. 
 
The e-script was legislated for legal use by pharmacies should patients choose to use it during the Coronavirus pandemic so they don’t miss out on prescribed medications for acute or chronic illnesses while avoiding crowded premises.
 
The traditional paper script is still widely used but if a patient agrees to go paperless and use e-script from their doctor, the script is created and sent to any of the 3,000 pharmacies using it.
 
The patient immediately receives a unique QR barcode and sent by SMS on their smartphone or by email that they show their pharmacists along with proof of valid personal identification.
 
The QR code is unlocked and scanned through the pharmacist’s secure electronic prescription delivery service.
 
A patient’s family member or agent can collect the medicine for as long as they can show a verified copy of the QR barcode.
 
However, patients must be aware that QR codes cannot be re-sent if they lose their phone or accidentally deleted the coded SMS.
 
To get it back, you will need to ask your doctor to cancel the lost electronic prescription and issue a new one.


editor

Publisher
Michael Walls
michael@accessnews.com.au
0407 783 413

Access News is a print and digital media publisher established over 15 years and based in Western Sydney, Australia. Our newspaper titles include the flagship publication, Western Sydney Express, which is a trusted source of information and for hundreds of thousands of decision makers, businesspeople and residents looking for insights into the people, projects, opportunities and networks that shape Australia's fastest growing region - Greater Western Sydney.