E-prescription incentive
September 2, 2013
THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia
has confirmed a new Electronic
Prescription Scanning Incentive
(ePSI), which will be applicable for
the 2013-14 financial year.
In a statement issued on Friday
the Guild said it had been in
discussions with the Dept of Health
for some time about the move,
which is a reallocation of existing
eHealth funds “to better drive the
uptake of electronic prescriptions”.
Guild President Kos Sclavos said
the measure would encourage
more pharmacists to adjust their
workflow to facilitate the scanning
of barcodes on all electronic
prescriptions.
“This is a significant and cost
effective step towards boosting
the use of electronic prescription
technology, reaping tangible
benefits in terms of accuracy,
efficiency and patient medication
management,” Sclavos said.
“The take up of Electronic transfer
of Prescriptions (ETP) by Australian
community pharmacies has been
exceptionally good over the past
two years.
“This measure will add new
impetus to the transition and
maximise the benefits for all
patients,” he added.
The new ePSI will be funded
through reallocating existing
Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions
funding within the Fifth Community
Pharmacy Agreement.
The cost-neutral change in terms
of the 5CPA will mean a potential
payment of around $2000 per
eligible community pharmacy.
To qualify for the ePSI,
pharmacies must be eligible for
the Pharmacy Practice Incentive
Community Services Support
priority area, and meet (or exceed)
specified ETP Scan Rates over two
review periods.
The first target is an ETP Scan Rate
of 15% of all original prescriptions,
and pharmacies should be aiming
to achieve this rate of scanning by
November 2013, the Guild said.
If a pharmacy is already registered
for the PPI Community Services
Support priority area, their PPI
registration does not need to be
changed to participate in the new
incentive.
Pharmacies wishing to access the
incentive and which are not already
participating in Electronic Transfer
of Prescriptions will need to
register with either the eRX Script
Exchange or MediSecure exchanges.
The Guild said the ePSI will have
“significant benefits for patients
in terms of their quality use of
medicines”.
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