Due to the difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health introduced image-based prescription measures in March 2020, removing the need for prescribers to send original paper prescriptions to dispensing pharmacies for certain medicines.
Image-based prescribing for all states and territories will cease on 31 March 2022, which may mean changes to the way you and your providers currently prescribe within Genie.
What can I do from 1 April 2022?
From 1 April 2022, providers will continue to have the ability to prescribe using the original paper prescribing methods that were available prior to image-based prescribing exemptions.
Our developers are currently working on delivering our long-awaited 64-bit application, however, once we have completed this work we will be resuming development of ePrescribing to provide you an electronic alternative to paper prescriptions.
If you rely heavily on telehealth appointments and are experiencing difficulty getting the original prescription to your patients, most states and territories will allow for medicines to be prescribed by either email or phone / fax order - provided the original prescription is sent to the dispensing pharmacy within a certain time period.
In most jurisdictions, the original prescription for schedule 8 medicines must be sent within 24 hours, whereas other medicines can range between 24 hours and 7 days.
| Email of digital image | Facsimile | Phone / Verbally | |
| NSW |  |
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| VIC | Emergency with verbal instruction |
Emergency only |
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| QLD | |
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| WA | Emergency only |
Emergency only |
Emergency only |
| SA | |
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| NT | |
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| ACT | |
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| TAS | Where impracticable to issue and deliver |
Permitted medicines and PBS subsidies differ between states and territories. We recommend checking the relevant legislation and requirements with your department of health using the links below.
| Department of Health website for each state / territory | |||