eRx & Electronic Prescribing: Configuration

This article explains how to configure eRx (Electronic Prescribing) in MediRecords, so your practice can send prescriptions to patients electronically instead of printing or faxing. It covers registering for and uploading your HPI-O and NASH certificate, recording each provider's HPI-I number, applying for and adding an eRx ID, enabling ePrescribing at the practice level, and confirming patient configuration. This applies to any practice and prescriber using electronic prescriptions. 

Contents:

1. Applying for a HPI-O & NASH Certificate
2. Uploading your NASH Certificate
3. Provider Configuration
4. Applying for an eRx ID
5. Adding your eRx ID to MediRecords
6. Enabling Electronic Prescribing
7. Patient Configuration
8. Troubleshooting

Applying for a HPI-O & NASH Certificate

Typically completed by a practice manager or administrator.

1. Register your organisation with the Health Identifiers service to obtain your HPI-O number and apply for your NASH certificate. You will need the NASH Certificate in the form of a P12 file, as well as the personal Identification code (PIC). Click here to see how to apply.
    
2. Click here to locate the Medicare form for applying for a NASH PKI Certificate.
    
3. Obtain a copy of all of your provider's HPI-I numbers. 
   *NOTE: If you cannot locate a provider's HPI-I number, they can contact either HPOS or AHPRA to obtain a copy of their 16-digit HPI-I number. 

Uploading your NASH Certificate

Note: There are two locations that you must upload this certificate for full functionality.

Health Identifier Certificate

1. Click More to reveal a drop-down list. Select Settings, then click on Configuration.
    
2. Click the relevant Practice Name.
3. Open the Health Identifier tab.
4. Enter your Certificate Passphrase for your HI Certificate (also known as PIC) into the PIC - Personal Identification Code field.
5. To upload your HI Certificate, click Select File to open a file explorer window. Navigate to the location of your HI Certificate (only select the one called fac_sign.p12) and select it for upload.
6. Once the certificate has been saved, the Certificate Alias Name and the Expiry Date will automatically be populated on the form.
7. Click Save.
   
    

NASH Certificates

You will now need to upload your NASH Certificate to your practice profile in MediRecords, within Practice Configuration in Settings.

1. Open the eHealth tab.
2. Enter your Certificate Passphrase for your HI Certificate (also known as PIC) into the PIC - Personal Identification Code field.
3. To upload your NASH Certificate, click Select File to open a file explorer window.
4. Navigate to the location of the certificate (typically it will be stored on a CD, which was provided by Medicare), click on the name of the certificate (called fac_sign.p12) and upload.
5. Once the file has been uploaded, the practice's HPI-O Number will automatically be populated to the HPI-O No. field, along with a Certificate Alias Name and Expiry Date, which are all digitally stored on the NASH Certificate.
6. Click Save.
   
    

Practice configuration for My Health Record is now complete.

Provider Configuration

In order for providers to connect to the Health Identifiers Service through MediRecords, they must have their 16-digit HPI-I Number recorded into their profile. If a provider does not have the HPI-I Number recorded against their profile, they will not be able to access My Health Record or prescribe with eRx.

The HPI-I Number is added to the Identifiers section of the user profile, within User Settings.

1. Click More to reveal a drop-down list. Click Settings and then click on Subscription Details.
2. Click Users.
3. Click the Name of the provider to open the user settings.
4. Open the Identifiers tab.
5. Click HPI-I No. and type in the 16-digit HPI-I Number.
6. Click Save to apply the changes.
   
    
7. You may wish to also enable the Real-Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) service for controlled medicines if you are prescribing monitored medicines such as Schedule 8 drugs. Please see this article for instructions: Real-Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM): Configuration & Quick Guide

Applying for an eRx ID

Completed by each individual prescriber themselves, on the eRx website, not something a practice manager can do on their behalf.

To set up eRx, you will need to register yourself on the eRx website and add your HPI-O (Healthcare Organisation) certificate, and the certificate associated with the Health Identifier (HI) Service to your practice configuration settings.

Before you can set up eRx in MediRecords, you will need to register yourself for ePrescribing on the eRx website.
To register, go to www.erx.com.au and click Register NOW in the right-hand corner of the page.

Where it says I am a Prescriber click, Register.


When completing the forms, remember to select MediRecords as your clinical software provider, if you do not select MediRecords as your software provider, this will cause a delay in the registration process.
Once you have completed and submitted your registration form, please allow 1 to 3 days for eRx to process the application.

When the application is approved, you will be emailed your eRx ID and other necessary information in the setup.

Adding your eRx ID to MediRecords

Typically completed by a practice manager or administrator, once the prescriber has received their eRx ID.

The eRx ID must be added to your profile in MediRecords, in the Identifiers section of the User Settings.

To open User Settings, click More at the left panel of the page to reveal a drop-down list, and then click Settings.

1. Click Subscription Details.
    
2. Click Users.
   
    
3. Click the Name of the User.
   
    
4. Open the Identifiers tab.
5. Click into the ERX ID field and type in the eRx number (which eRx will provide to you) 
6. Ensure that you have entered your Prescriber No if you have not already.
   
7. Click Save to apply the changes.

Enabling Electronic Prescribing

Typically completed by a practice manager or administrator, once per practice.

1. Go to More> Settings> Configuration
    
2. Click on Configuration
    
3. Click on Care System Configuration
   
    
4. Open the Electronic Prescribing tab, tick "Enable Tokenised Electronic Prescribing", then hit Save.

Patient Configuration

Receiving prescriptions via eRx is on an opt-in basis, and you must have the patient's permission to send them e-prescriptions.
MediRecords uses the Medicare number to obtain the patient's IHI (Individual Health Identifier) number from Medicare. However, you can manually enter the IHI number without having to have entered the Medicare card number. The patient must have a validated IHI number to enable eRx.

For you to electronically prescribe to a patient, there are certain mandatory fields that must be included on each prescription. These are all configured within the Patient Details tab.

Checking a Patient's Configuration

1. Open the patient's record via search or the Patient List.

2. Open the Details tab, then open the Settings tab

3. Scroll down to check whether the patient has 

   • ePrescribing ticked

   • An IHI Number populated, that is in Active and Verified Status
     
      

4. If the IHI number is missing, or the IHI Record Status is not Verified, click the Validate button to run an IHI Validation. 

5. Click Save to apply the changes.

Troubleshooting

ePrescribing registration is taking longer than 1 to 3 days, or was rejected

Cause: MediRecords wasn't selected as the clinical software provider on the eRx registration form.
Resolution: Check the confirmation email from eRx, or contact eRx directly, to confirm which software provider was recorded. If it's wrong, you may need to re-submit the registration with MediRecords selected.
Escalate when: MediRecords was correctly selected but the registration is still delayed beyond 3 business days.

A prescriber can't send e-prescriptions after setup

Cause: One of several required pieces may be missing: the NASH certificate wasn't uploaded to both required locations (Health Identifier and eHealth), the provider's HPI-I Number isn't recorded, the eRx ID hasn't been added to their profile, or "Enable Tokenised Electronic Prescribing" hasn't been ticked at the practice level.
Resolution: Work through the checklist in order: NASH certificate uploaded in both locations, HPI-I Number recorded, eRx ID added, tokenised prescribing enabled.
Escalate when: All four items are confirmed in place but the prescriber still can't send e-prescriptions.

A specific patient can't receive e-prescriptions

Cause: The patient's IHI number isn't recorded, isn't verified, or the ePrescribing tick-box hasn't been enabled on their record.
Resolution: Check the patient's IHI No. is present and its status is Verified (click Validate if not), then confirm the ePrescribing tick-box is ticked under EHEALTH in their Details tab.
Escalate when: The IHI is verified and ePrescribing is enabled, but the patient still can't receive e-prescriptions.

"HPI-O No must be supplied" error when prescribing

Cause: The HPI-O number has not been entered in the practice's Configuration settings.

Resolution: Go to More > Settings > Configuration, select the practice in question, open the eHealth tab, and check the HPI-O No. field. If you have uploaded the NASH Certificate as described above, this field populates automatically; otherwise it must be entered manually.

If this doesn't resolve it: contact MediRecords Support.

Further Reading

• Health Identifiers: IHI Numbers & Validation
• Errors - E99003 and E99033