The following message is from the Ministry of Health regards the removal of the requirement for original copies of faxed prescriptions:
This temporary waiver recognises faxed or e-faxed prescriptions not signed personally by a prescriber with their usual signature as legal when all of the following conditions are met:
- the prescription is generated by an electronic system requires the prescriber to log on with a unique ID and password
- the prescription does not include Controlled Drugs (Class A, B or C) but can include an exempted drug or partially exempted drug as defined by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975
- the prescription or the electronic communication that sends the prescription includes all of the following:
– the prescriber’s full name printed/typed in the signature line
– the prescriber’s registration authority number (eg, MCNZ) that uniquely identifies the prescriber
– the contact details of the prescriber to enable the pharmacy to contact the prescriber to verify identify or request amendments to the prescription and
– the following statement “This Prescription meets the requirement of the Director-General of Health’s waiver”.
Faxed prescriptions meeting the suspension conditions will not be subject to adverse audit comment or recovery action during future audits.