Community Pharmacy – Be a leader of innovation
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A new national education program funded through the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement will be
commencing in October to support community pharmacies to increase their understanding and awareness
of electronic transfer of prescriptions.
The Electronic Transfer of Prescription (ETP) Education Program aims to educate the community
pharmacy workforce about Electronic Medication Management and specifically the role of ETP in
Australia’s eHealth landscape.
ETP is a means by which community pharmacy can participate in a quality use of medicines initiative which
will reduce medication errors and enhance health outcomes for consumers. In addition ETP will enable
community pharmacy to reinforce its record as leaders in health-related innovation.
Around two-thirds of Australian pharmacies are already equipped to process electronic prescriptions. This
program will consolidate their knowledge, help those pharmacies to be ‘eHealth enabled’ and ready to
participate in other eHealth initiatives, including the Personally Controlled Electronic Heath Record
(PCEHR).
The program will also assist community pharmacies which have not yet made the transition to electronic
prescriptions to adopt and maximise the benefits of ETP technology. Electronic prescriptions have well
recognised advantages for patients, prescribers and community pharmacies, including better record keeping
and reduced likelihood of dispensing errors.
The key activities of the education program include:
o Free information sessions conducted throughout Australia commencing in October
o Support for pharmacies to sign up for their organisational Healthcare Provider Identifier
(HPI-O) to be ‘eHealth enabled’
o Provision of eLearning material
More information about the program and registration for the information sessions is available on the
5CPA website – www.5cpa.com.au.
Media inquiries: Greg Turnbull 0412910261