The Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) has published a series of Electronic Prescribing (EP) Conformance Profiles (CP) with incremental increases in functionality.
The latest Conformance Profile v3.0.1 came into effect on 1 January 2023 and is the version that caters for all features of EP conformance and removes all previously granted temporary exceptions. In response to feedback received from Industry and in recognition of the current state of development progress, the Agency has extended the sunset dates for EP conformance profiles:
| EP Conformance Profiles | Previous Sunset Date | New Sunset Date |
| vFT1.0 & vFT1.1 | 30 June 2023 | 1 December 2023 |
| v2.2.1 | 24 November 2023 | 31 March 2024 |
| v2.3 | 24 November 2023 | TBA |
It is intended that the extension of time will allow for prescribing and dispensing systems to attain conformance to CPv3.0.1 and to transition their client base to a CPv3.0.1 conformant version of their software. The Agency will re-engage with industry to consult on an optimal sunset date for v2.3 and timeframes to cease conformance testing for this profile within 3 months of the outcome of the Department of Health and Aged Care’s request for tender for Prescription Delivery Services.
In preparation for achieving conformance to Electronic Prescribing Conformance Profile v.3.0.1 (CPv3.0.1), the following resources have been developed to assist you as you uplift your software product and undertake the conformance process:
- Conformance Process
- Technical Framework Documents
- Additional requirements for EP
- Electronic Prescribing - FAQs
- Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Profile
- Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Test Specifications
The Agency reminds all software developers that conformance to existing Healthcare Identifier service test cases is required. To achieve this, you will be required to submit an Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS) v4.1, which will ensure that your software product meets the following criteria:
- Either meet the requirements of use case UC.330 (prescribing system) or use case UC.325 (dispensing system) depending on your software’s functionality.
- Meet the requirements of 022000 for IHI matching, as covered in use cases 10 and 15. Please see dot point 2 under the HI FAQs for further information.
- Ensure you are conformant to the latest Electronic Prescribing Conformance Profile, or have plans to become conformant in line with the sunset dates communicated in this notice.
If you would like to discuss electronic prescribing generally, please contact our support team at: email [email protected] or call 1300 901 001.