Using QScript

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Registration is open for the following health practitioners:

  • medical practitioners
  • pharmacists
  • nurse practitioners
  • endorsed midwives
  • dentists
  • podiatric surgeons and endorsed podiatrists.

These health practitioners can register for QScript by:

Read more information about QScript, or download the factsheets with information for health practitioners (PDF 120 kB), and the QScript system in practice (PDF 124 kB).

Technical support for health practitioners

See QScript help topics for comprehensive guidance about general QScript functionality, including how to register and log in.

If users have technical issues that they have not been able to resolve after reviewing the help topics and trouble shooting guide (PDF 293 kB), they can contact 1800 776 633 or email: it.qscript@health.qld.gov.au

Download the tips for first time login and QScript system requirements for more information.

QScript login and patient search

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Video transcript

Okay so I'm just going to give you a brief overview of the patient search area of the QScript system. So here we have the login process. I'm just logging in using the email that I signed up with. There's a few ways you can authenticate but for this example we're using a code that was sent to my mobile phone. And here's where we nominate a pin. So we can use this pin for the rest of the day instead of having to go through the whole login process. One thing you might do is sign in at the start of the day and then you can easily access the patient search just by entering your pin each time you want to use the system. Once you've done that we're straight into the patient search area.  There's no need to enter their full name and date of birth you can just enter their initials and the date of birth and then hit search.Once we click the search button we can see the list of patients that fit our search criteria. In this case it's just one so we can click on this patient. We can see the patient's preferred name, date of birth, IHI address, and down in this area we can see a list of medications that have been associated with this patient. So, this is searchable as well. We can search morphine for example, and it will display any events related to morphine. Another way to look through the data is to filter by event type. So we can select prescribed events and we'll see all of the instances where something has been prescribed. Or maybe your preference would be to filter by what's been dispensed - that way you can see what the patient has actually collected from a pharmacy. You can also see if any prescription has been cancelled by a health practitioner by selecting cancelled in this drop down menu.The latest event will always be at the top, but you can also filter by date range over here. You can have the system categorise the data by generic medication name or by trade name, and also by the different health  practitioners that have uploaded the data. So in each of these events you can easily see the date the medicine was prescribed dispensed or cancelled, the medication, the strength, quantity and instructions. The practitioner details section provides you more information about the practitioner who prescribed or dispensed the medicine. Here in this column you can see how many times the medication has been dispensed. If there were repeats it would say one of one or one of five and so on. If this was a prescribed event it will always display zero for example zero of three - meaning that one original and two repeats were prescribed. You can also expand these boxes by clicking on them. This area shows details of the alerts triggered based on the patient's medication history. Another way to view the alerts information is by hitting this alert history button where you'll again see all of the alerts and be able to click on each to get more information about the alert and why it was triggered. This other button here in the top right is the access history. Viewing the access history allows you to identify other health practitioners who are involved in the patient's care. So that's just a brief overview of how to search for and navigate patient records in QScript. For further help and links to technical support visit the QScript help topics at help.qscript.health.qld.gov.au

Visit the QScript learning portal for more resources on using and understanding the QScript system.

QScript security and privacy

As part of the registration process for QScript, Queensland Health collects certain personal information from health practitioners to verify their identity.

The contact details provided on registration are not made publicly available by QScript. Personal information collected by Queensland Health is handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009.

There are offences and strict penalties for inappropriate use or disclosure of information contained in QScript.

Queensland Health commissioned a Privacy Impact Assessment which analysed the flows of personal and confidential information in QScript and potential privacy impacts. A summary of the QScript Privacy Impact Assessment (PDF 157 kB) is available for viewing.

For further information refer to the privacy collection notice for health practitioners when registering.

QScript learning portal

An online learning portal is available to help health practitioners use QScript and understand their legislative requirements.

The following learning areas are covered by a suite of eLearning modules:

  • Your legislative requirements
  • How to use the QScript system
  • Clinical best practice.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points are available for undertaking these learning modules.

The Department of Health is not mandating health practitioners to undertake QScript training. However, all prescribers and pharmacists are strongly encouraged to complete the online educational modules, as they provide important information about the appropriate use of QScript, and other aspects of the medicines and poisons regulatory framework in Queensland.

Employers may require health practitioners to complete QScript training as a condition of their employment.

Access the QScript learning portal.

Other learning opportunities

In addition to the QScript learning portal, a series of webinars were hosted by Queensland Health in 2021, for health practitioners to assist in understanding the changes brought about by the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 related to monitored medicines and todemonstrate QScript. For further information visit the QScript learning portal.

Connecting to a Prescription Exchange Service (PES)

Connecting clinical software to a PES allows the automatic upload of monitored medicine prescribing and dispensing data into QScript.

Under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019, all health practitioners dispensing monitored medicines (other than those practising in public sector hospitals) are required to make their monitored medicine dispensing records in dispensing software connected to a PES. This ensures these records are uploaded into QScript in real-time.

Prescribers are not required to use clinical software connected to a PES, but it is highly encouraged as this helps ensure more complete patient information is captured in QScript.

In Australia, there are currently 2 PES systems in operation, eRx Script Exchange and MediSecure. Approximately 96 per cent of all community pharmacies in Queensland are already connected to 1 or both PESs.

To connect to a PES, please contact your software vendor for more information or contact a PES provider on the details below:

MediSecure
Phone: 1800 472 747

eRx Script Exchange
Phone: 1300 700 921

Discussing QScript with patients

If patients or carers are concerned about QScript, health practitioners are encouraged to discuss with them the information contained in their QScript record and explain the benefits of having this information as part of their care. Patients and carers should be aware that this is not an opt-in or opt-out system.

QScript is not integrated with My Health Record. While My Health Record may contain prescription medication information, due to the ‘opt out’ provisions, this data may be incomplete.

Patients are not able to opt-out of having their monitored medicine prescription information recorded in QScript. They may have some concerns if alerts or notifications are triggered on their QScript record.

It is important to note that QScript does not instruct healthcare providers on what they should do, nor does it prevent them from prescribing or dispensing. The decision on whether to prescribe or dispense remains a clinical decision of the prescriber or pharmacist.

Ideally, a discussion about the benefits, risks and how to reduce potential harms from their current medicines should have already occurred. However, QScript may present a new opportunity to discuss with patients their current treatment plan.

If patients or carers are concerned about their privacy, practitioners may wish to reassure them that only those health practitioners involved in their care are authorised to view their QScript record. Patient searches by health practitioners are logged and can be audited to monitor inappropriate use. Authorised Queensland Health and other regulatory officers can also access QScript, to manage the operation of QScript and to exercise powers or perform functions under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 relating to monitored medicines.

The QScript learning portal contains advice on how to have open and honest conversations with patients regarding QScript.

Download the QScript display posters:

Last updated: 9 May 2023