General information
This guide is general information, not personal medical advice, and may change over time. With any medicine, always read the label and use only as directed, and if symptoms persist see your doctor or health care professional. Check anything that affects you with your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
An eScript is the digital version of a prescription. Instead of a paper script, your GP sends a token to your phone by SMS or email, and you forward that token to the pharmacy of your choice. The token holds the prescription details; the pharmacy reads it, dispenses your medication, and the system regenerates a new token for any remaining repeats.
Most Australian doctors now issue eScripts by default. Every Australian pharmacy can dispense them.
What an eScript is
An eScript is a secure digital prescription, equivalent in legal force to a paper prescription. The token you receive is a unique reference (usually shown as a QR code with a unique alphanumeric key) that any approved pharmacy in Australia can scan to access the underlying prescription record.
Two key facts:
- The eScript token can only be sent to you. Your doctor cannot send it directly to a pharmacy. You decide which pharmacy fills it.
- The token represents one fill. After the medication is dispensed, the original token is consumed. If your prescription has repeats, the system generates a new token after each fill and sends it to you.
There are two ways your prescriptions can live in the eScript system: as individual tokens you forward each time, or as part of an Active Script List that lets one pharmacy access your full list of current scripts. The token model is the default. The Active Script List is opt-in.
How to receive your eScript from the doctor
After your GP issues the prescription, you receive the token in one of two ways:
- SMS: a short message with a clickable QR code link
- Email: similar format, with the token attachment
The format may include a tap-to-show QR code and a unique "Service Token" key. Either is enough at any pharmacy. Keep the SMS or email; don't delete it until the script has been dispensed.
If you have the Medicare app, eScripts can also appear there directly under "My Health Record" or "Prescriptions". Some pharmacies have their own apps (Chemist Warehouse, MedAdvisor, MyScript) that can store and display your tokens.
How to forward your eScript to a pharmacy
You have three practical options. Pick whichever suits you.
Method 1: Show the QR code at the counter
Walk into the pharmacy, open the SMS or email, and show the QR code on your phone screen. The pharmacist scans it and dispenses. This is the simplest method, no forwarding required.
Method 2: Forward the SMS or email to the pharmacy
Most pharmacies publish a dedicated email address or phone number for eScript orders, often on their website or in their app. Forward the original SMS or email to that contact. The pharmacy dispenses and either holds the medication for pickup or arranges delivery.
Method 3: Use a pharmacy app
If you use a pharmacy's app (Chemist Warehouse, MedAdvisor, MyScript, or many independents), you can store your eScripts in the app and order dispensing in one tap. The app sends the token to the pharmacy's dispensing system.
For pharmacy delivery, see our pharmacy delivery guide.
Forwarding to a family member, carer, or friend
The eScript token can be forwarded to anyone. If a family member or carer is collecting your medication on your behalf, forward the SMS to their phone or send them a screenshot of the QR code. They show it at the pharmacy and the medication is dispensed.
Some Schedule 4 medicines and all Schedule 8 medicines may require additional pharmacist verification of identity. For these, the pharmacy may need to phone you or ask the recipient for ID. What is required depends on state regulations and the specific medicine, not only the pharmacist's discretion.
Repeats and how the token regenerates
When your prescription has repeats (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 additional fills typically), the system generates a new token after each fill. The new token arrives at the same SMS number or email address as the original. You don't need to ask your GP for repeats; they're built into the original prescription.
For chronic-disease medications, this means your phone receives a new token roughly every 30 to 60 days for as long as the prescription's repeats remain. Once the last repeat is dispensed, no more tokens arrive; you'll need a new prescription from your GP.
A 60-day prescription works the same way; the token just covers a 60-day quantity instead of 30.
What to do if you lose the token
If you delete the SMS, your phone breaks, or the email lands in spam, the token is recoverable in three ways:
- Ask your GP to resend it. GPs can regenerate the SMS or email at no cost.
- Check your Medicare app. If the GP linked your eScript to your My Health Record, it may be visible there.
- Call the pharmacy that filled the previous repeat. If you've already used the same pharmacy, they may be able to dispense from their dispensing record.
If none of those work, the GP needs to issue a new eScript. There is no central "lost token" recovery service for consumers.
Active Script List: the alternative
If you fill everything at the one pharmacy and would rather not juggle tokens, an ASL lets that pharmacy hold all your current scripts and pull from them directly. Full setup steps are in our Active Script List guide.
You can change which pharmacy accesses your ASL at any time. Set up via the Medicare app, your pharmacy, or directly with Services Australia.
When eScripts go wrong
Token won't load on the pharmacist's screen, expired before pickup, sent to the wrong email. Most problems are fixed by the GP regenerating the token or by the pharmacy accepting a screenshot of the SMS as proof of issuance.
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Frequently asked questions
Twelve months from the date your GP issued it, the same as a paper prescription. After 12 months it expires and the GP must issue a new one.
