Prescription exchanges allowed to communicate.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has just issued a final authorisation which will permit eRx Script Exchange to enter into a contract with MediSecure to facilitate interoperability between the rival pharmaceutical prescription exchange systems.
The move will allow a $10 million government contract to proceed (TD 23 Nov 2012), with the exchanges to each receive $660,000 to undertake the work, and a further $8.3 million available as a “PES Electronic Prescription Fee” which will see an amount ranging from 35c-85c paid to an exchange for each eligible electronic prescription downloaded and dispensed,
This announcement confirms a previous draft authorisation granted in December, with ACCC deputy chair Michael Schaper saying “allowing the parties to implement this agreement is likely to lead to greater use of electronic prescriptions, resulting in cost savings and a reduction in prescription transcription errors”.
Authorisation has been granted until 30 Jun 2017, by which time an Australian Standard should be in place “including technical specifications to ensure interoperability between all prescription exchange systems,” the ACCC said.
More information in tomorrow’s Pharmacy Daily.
