Introduction
A mobile application or web-based application can be used by a subject of care or carer to manage prescriptions and to present an electronic prescription token to a pharmacy.
A mobile application uses a mobile intermediary system to connect to, and interact with, the National Prescription Delivery Services (NPDS) and/or Active Script List Registry (ASLR).
If you are developing a mobile application as well as the mobile intermediary system it will connect to, please refer to Electronic prescribing conformance process – mobile intermediary system.
If you are developing a mobile application only, and intend to use a mobile intermediary system developed by another provider that offers connection services, please follow the process below. The process will assist mobile application software developers to connect to a mobile intermediary system provider and declare software conformance with the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency)’s electronic prescribing technical framework.
Step 1: Connect with a mobile intermediary
Please contact your preferred conformant mobile intermediary system provider to gain access to test environments and the interface technical specifications required to connect to their service.
You may contact [email protected] for information about conformant mobile intermediary system providers that offer connection services.
2: Develop your product
Review the Technical Framework Documents and identify the requirements that apply to your product in the Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Profile.
To assist your development and testing, refer to the Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Test Specifications (CTS) and test data.
Begin developing your product by using the interface technical specifications and test environment provided by your mobile intermediary system provider.
Step 3: Conduct internal testing
Conduct a self-assessment against the applicable requirements and your own internal testing.
Step 4: Complete the Conformance Test Specification (CTS)
Complete the CTS and submit to your preferred conformant mobile intermediary system provider.
Please ensure the CTS for your product is completed in full, with:
- the relevant test outcomes (pass, fail, N/A) recorded against each test case
- a corresponding reason documented for any test marked as N/A
- completed Test Summary Report worksheet
- relevant evidence for each test outcome, including screenshots, recordings, documentation or other.
Step 5: Conduct conformance assessment
The mobile intermediary system provider will conduct a conformance assessment observation session.
The purpose of this session is to verify the results recorded in the submitted CTS and validate any further information requested by the mobile intermediary system provider.
The mobile intermediary system provider will help you determine if you are ready to undergo observation and will schedule the session at a mutually agreed time.
In addition to your observed conformance assessment, the mobile intermediary system provider may request further evidence for specific test cases to ensure the record of the test is full and accurate.
Step 6: Declare conformance
Complete the Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Vendor Declaration form after the observed conformance assessment is successfully completed. Email the form to [email protected]. Please ensure that:
- All relevant information, such as inclusion of companion software details in section 1.3. Companion software may include Prescription Delivery Services adaptor(s), workflow engine(s), mobile gateway(s), etc.
- The name of the mobile intermediary system your software is integrated with.
- The information in the form matches the information in the Test Summary Report tab in the final CTS.
Note:
The Conformance ID requested in the form is a string of no more than 36 printable characters containing a text string representing the product name, a single character delimiter (“|”) and an alphanumeric string representing the software product version. As the Conformance ID may help with issue identification and is used to manage participation, it is strongly advised that you declare accurate version information. It is, however, recognised that some software products update version information regularly and in response to changes that do not impact electronic prescribing functionality. For this reason, software vendors may ascertain for themselves the granularity of version information declared in the Conformance ID and the occasions at which it is declared.
The Agency will inform you directly if any issues are identified in your submission.
Upon successful processing, you will be notified by the Agency directly and your product will be added to the register of conformance. This register is communicated by the Agency to Services Australia, State and Territory health departments and PDS Provider for operational purposes.
Step 7: Deploy updated product
Once you have received a notification that your product has been included on the list of conformant products, you may commence deploying electronic prescribing functionality into production.
Conclusion
You should now be able to gain conformance with the Agency’s electronic prescribing technical framework for your mobile application. If you need any further assistance, please contact [email protected].