Electronic Prescriptions - eScripts

August 26, 2020

Electronic Prescriptions for medical scripts have arrived in Brisbane, and Growlife Medical is one of the first providers in Queensland to provide eScripts to our patients. As the world is changing rapidly, we continue to lead the way with digital healthcare to help keep you safe, and healthy.


This article explains how eScripts work, what is a script token, how to receive an electronic script and where to find a pharmacy to fill an eScript in Brisbane.

How Do Medical Electronic Scripts (eScripts) Work?

COVID-19 is a coronavirus which causes respiratory symptoms like cough, sore throat and breathlessness. It also causes fever, and can also cause fatigue muscle aches and diarrhoea. Because coronavirus is a respiratory virus, a person with coronavirus causes spread of the virus when they cough. This form of spread is called droplet spread. This is important, as droplet spread viruses are generally easier to prevent spreading than airborne spread viruses. Droplet spread means a virus falls from the air with gravity when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Airborne spread viruses can float in the air for hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes.


Because coronavirus is droplet spread, we can work together to prevent spread of coronavirus in Brisbane.


Children have very mild disease with coronavirus, and it is possible that they can spread coronavirus without their family realising they are unwell. So prevention measures are important, even if you aren't directly in contact with someone with suspected coronavirus.


Droplet spread of coronavirus can occur through spending more than 15 minutes with an infected person or by direct contact with their body fluids (typically coughing or sneezing). Coronavirus can remain infectious outside the body on surfaces. It is believed this is a common method of spread, through touching contaminated door handles, light switches, telephones, keyboards, and in bathrooms and kitchens.


Coronavirus is spreading rapidly worldwide, and you can view a coronavirus COVID-19 map here.

What is an eScript or Electronic Prescription?

For many years, legislation has required medication prescriptions to be written on paper and signed by the doctor's own hand. Whilst the digital world has moved rapidly, legislation has been slow to change and the system has remained clunky for doctors and patients. COVID-19 has changed so much of our world, and change is no more evident in General Practice. Growlife Medical has led the Telehealth revolution, and now we are also advocating to bring prescribing into the digital era.


In July 2020, legislation in Queensland changed to allow doctors to generate a prescription with a digital signature. To make sure this digital signature is secure, every script has a unique code assigned to it. Your doctor can now email or SMS your prescription, which looks different to the old paper version to make it much more secure. Your eScript will arrive as an email or SMS with a link to click. This link contains your eScript which is called a token.

What is an eScript Token?

The token is a type of complex barcode that your pharmacist can scan - like the one depicted below. Some clever technology allows this scan to automatically complete your prescription details in the pharmacy computer system. The token is like a key that you hold that allows your doctor to communicate your prescription details directly to any pharmacy you choose. Even better, this automated technology reduces the risk of errors in medicine, dose, strength and instructions, keeping you safer. And being electronic, its much harder to lose your prescription. Should you lose your token, you can also request your doctor to cancel that script.

Where can I find a pharmacy that accepts electonic prescriptions in Brisbane?

Learn more about Electronic Prescriptions (eScripts)

Watch this video from GP software provider Best Practice to learn more about how eScripts work

Growlife Medical Family General Practice

Wish your GP was more responsive to your needs? Book an appointment with a family friendly GP from Growlife Medical.

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