Registration at the pharmacy 

The patient visits their preferred pharmacy and requests to be registered for an ASL. As part of this process, the pharmacy verifies the patient’s identity and sends a consent and access request using the patient's preferred contact method (SMS or email message). 

Patient visits the doctor 

The patient visits their doctor and requires a prescription. If the patient chooses an electronic prescription, it is added to the prescription delivery service (PDS) as usual. Unless the patient instructs their doctor otherwise, the prescription is automatically added to the patient's ASL. 

Patient visits the pharmacy 

The patient can visit any pharmacy that is enabled to offer ASL. It doesn't have to be the original pharmacy where they registered for their ASL. The pharmacy will verify the patient’s identity and request consent to access their ASL via SMS or email (initiated through the dispensing software).  

Medicine is dispensed 

The patient does not need to share a token for supply of their medicine, as the pharmacy selects the relevant prescription from the patient’s ASL. The electronic prescription information is downloaded from the prescription delivery service (PDS) and the medicine can be dispensed. 

If there are remaining repeats, these will be available in the patient's ASL. 

Step 1: Verify patient identity 

When registering a patient for an ASL, you must verify their identity (or if applicable, that the person is an authorised representative of the patient). If the patient has current government issued photo identification and a Medicare or DVA card (with the individual’s name), then this is sufficient to identify them and register their ASL. 

If the patient does not have photo identification, then additional identification documents may be required. The type of documents you will need will depend on whether the patient is known to you or not, and whether the patient is prescribed Schedule 8 medicines.     

Step 2: Locate the patient in your software and validate their IHI 

Once you have verified the identity of the patient, locate them in your software and validate their Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI). This will ensure that the patient is matched to the correct record and any electronic prescriptions that they may already have.   

The details required to validate a patient’s IHI are:      

• Family name 
• Given name 
• Date of birth 
• Gender 
• Medicare number or DVA number 

Step 3: Complete the ASL registration form 

The registration form will be pre-populated with any data held in your dispensing software. Check the patient’s details and select ‘SUBMIT’ to continue. 

Step 4: Establish consent from the patient 

During registration, you must inform the patient about the service they are consenting to by explaining that: 

• in order to initiate registration, patients will need to provide certain personal details like their name and mobile number 
• they should review and accept the terms and conditions once an access request has been received via their preferred contact method (SMS or email message) 
• that ALL their prescriptions will be visible to the practitioners to whom they provide access, unless they specifically request the prescriber to exclude a prescription 
• ASL is an optional service. 
• By initiating the registration process on behalf of the patient, a pharmacist is confirming that they have:  
• been duly authorised by the patient (and have their consent) to proceed with the registration; and 
• verified the identity of the patient or authorised representative of the patient.  

A consent and access request is then sent to the patient or their authorised representative, who is also a nominated primary contact, using their preferred contact method (SMS or email message). The patient or their authorised representative must respond to the message. 

Step 5: Add existing active prescriptions to ASL 

• If selected in the registration form, the patient or their authorised representative will receive a message via their preferred contact method (SMS or email message) to confirm if they would like to add existing active prescriptions to their ASL. 

• If the patient replies ‘YES’, then their active prescriptions will be automatically added to their ASL (this may include active tokens and computer-generated paper prescriptions). 

• If the patient replies ‘NO’, only future prescriptions will be added to their ASL, unless they ask their prescriber not to add them. 

Once a patient has registered for an ASL, they can visit any pharmacy that is enabled to offer ASL.  

Each pharmacy that the patient visits must verify their identity, and request consent to access their ASL via SMS or email (initiated through the dispensing software), unless consent has already been provided to this pharmacy. 

• Electronic prescriptions (unless patient requests to withhold from ASL)  
• Computer-generated paper prescriptions (with a barcode) will also be visible in the ASL but will not be available for dispensing without the legal paper prescription.  
• Computer generated paper prescriptions which are dispensed manually by the pharmacist (i.e. not scanned) will not be updated in the patient’s ASL  
• What won’t be in ASL: handwritten paper prescriptions and computer-generated prescriptions with no eRx barcode AND electronic prescriptions which the patient has chosen not to include in their ASL  

NOTE: The ASL should not be relied upon as a complete list of medicines which a patient is taking. It is only a list of prescriptions available to be dispensed. 

• Patients may nominate a carer and/or agent to manage ASL on their behalf and collect their medicines.  
  • Carer: a person/organisation who has the same ASL rights and access as the patient e.g. a RACH may with resident’s permission, nominate themselves as a carer so they can receive electronic notifications and provide site-consent 
  • Agent: a person whom the patient has authorised to collect supplied medicines (i.e. to receive a dispense on behalf of the patient).

The patient is responsible for getting consent from the carer/agent and communicating this to the healthcare provider. 

Patients agree to their prescriptions being available in their ASL during the registration process. It is patient’s responsibility to inform their prescriber or pharmacist whether to withhold a script from ASL.

New functionality has been introduced in My Health App that allows consumers to manage their electronic prescriptions and Active Script List.  

An Active Script Activation Code needs to be sent to the consumer to link their Actie Script List to the app, allowing them to view and manage their ASL. This activation code can be generated in the dispensing software for patients that have been registered for ASL and have an IHI number against their profile.

• Search for the consumer within your dispensing software. 
• Once verified with the consumer, open their profile and check that they are registered for an ASL. If they are not registered, proceed with the registration process.  
• Once registration is verified as complete, go to the section in your software where ASL details are displayed. 
• Find the option/button to generate or retrieve the Activation Code.  
• Once the Activation Code is generated, provide it to the consumer so they can use it to access their ASL in third-party applications.  
• If you require assistance generating or retrieving the Activation Code, please contact your dispensing software helpdesk for specific instructions. 

Z software

• Active Script List 
• Enabling and disabling ePrescriptions
• Generating ASL activation code 

Minfos 

• Active Script List 
• ePrescribing 
• Dispensing from a Patient’s ASL 

Fred Dispense 

• Active Script List 
• ePrescribing: Electronic Prescriptions 
• Dispensing from a patient’s ASL  

Course link: Active Script List (MySL) in Community Pharmacy

This activity has been accredited for 0.5 hour of Group 1 CPD (or 0.5 CPD credit) suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan which can be converted to 0.5 hour of Group 2 CPD (or 1 CPD credit) upon successful completion of relevant assessment activities. 

Please visit the ADHA website for more information.