Every prescription carries a status and can be assigned to a prescriber or pharmacist. This lets a clerk log a prescription before the drugs are known and hand it to the right person to complete — including from a phone.
The four statuses
- Draft — logged but not ready. A Draft can be saved with no drugs yet; use it when a doctor still has to decide what to prescribe. Assign it to them.
- Active — the normal state: drugs are prescribed and it can be dispensed.
- Completed — fully dispensed / closed out.
- Cancelled — voided; it won't be dispensed.
New prescriptions start Active. You can change the status any time from the Status box on the Details tab.
Log a Draft and assign it to a prescriber
- Open Pharmacy → Prescriptions → New prescription.
- Pick the patient, set Status to Draft, and choose the prescriber in Assigned to (prescriber).
- Save — no drugs are required for a Draft. It now shows in that prescriber's Assigned to me queue.
Complete a prescription assigned to you (incl. on mobile)
The prescription screen works in a phone browser, so a prescriber can complete a Draft remotely:
- Open Pharmacy → Prescriptions and tick Assigned to me in the filter bar (optionally set the status filter to Draft).
- Open the prescription, add the drugs and directions on the Details tab.
- Change Status to Active and Save. It's now ready to dispense.
Dispense
Bill / Dispense appears once a prescription is Active (or Completed) — it's hidden for Draft (nothing to dispense yet) and Cancelled. Dispensing is the sale: an invoice linked to the prescription moves the stock and money.
Department
The Department on the prescription (Details tab) is the dispensing department. It defaults to your own department and is carried onto the sale when you Bill/Dispense — it sets the invoice's selling and delivering department automatically, so pharmacy sales post to the right department without re-picking it.
Tips
- The status filter and Assigned to me toggle sit in the Prescriptions list toolbar — combine them to work a queue (e.g. Draft + Assigned to me).
- Assigning is optional — leave Assigned to (prescriber) blank for walk-in prescriptions you dispense straight away.
- Changing status and re-assigning are also possible in bulk-style from the list without opening the whole form (quick workflow action).
Common problems
- "Add at least one drug, or set the status to Draft." → You tried to save an Active prescription with no drug lines. Either add a drug or switch Status to Draft.
- Can't move a Draft to Active — it still has no drugs. Add at least one line first.
- The prescriber can't see it in "Assigned to me" — check you set Assigned to (prescriber) to them and saved, and that they're signed in as that user.
- No Bill / Dispense button — the prescription is Draft or Cancelled. Set it to Active first.