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 profile, Conformance Profile version 3.0.1 (CPv3.0.1), came into effect on 1 January 2023 and is the version that caters for all features of Electronic Prescribing 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 Electronic Prescribing conformance profiles:
| Electronic Prescribing Conformance Profile | Old sunset date | New sunset date |
| vFT1.0 & vFT1.1 | 30 June 2023 | 1 December 2023 |
| v2.2.1 | 31 March 2024 | 30 September 2024 |
| Electronic Prescribing Connecting Systems Conformance Profile v2.3 | 30 June 2025 | 30 September 2026 |
| Electronic Prescribing Prescription Delivery Services and Active Script List Registry Services Conformance Profile v2.3 | 31 January 2024 | 31 January 2024 |
The extension of time is intended to allow for connecting 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 revised Connecting Systems CPv2.3 sunset date is final.
The following resources have been developed to assist software developers uplift software products and achieve conformance to Electronic Prescribing Conformance Profile v.3.0.1 (CPv3.0.1):
- 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 Identifiers service test cases is required. To achieve this, you will be required to submit an Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS) v4.2, 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 Service 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.
To support vendors with implementing electronic prescribing functionality, the Agency has extended the CPv2.3 sunset date by 15 months to 30 September 2026. The decision to extend the sunset date was made with acknowledgement and consideration of feedback from the medical software community; we thank you for your participation and collaboration in sharing challenges imposed by the sunsetting of CPv2.3.
If you have further queries related to electronic prescribing, please contact our support team at help@digitalhealth.gov.au or call 1300 901 001.