eScripts · Quick GuideLost Your eScript SMS?
Here's What to Do
Deleted or can't find your eScript token? Your prescription is not gone. The SMS is only the key — the prescription itself is stored securely in Australia's national electronic prescription system. Here's how to get back in, fastest fix first.
Last reviewed July 2026 · General information only, not medical advice
Never lose an eScript token again. MediRemind saves your QR codes directly from SMS — stored on your device, accessible offline at any pharmacy. Download free for 30 days.
Your prescription is not lost. The SMS on your phone only contains the token — a QR code that acts like a key. The prescription itself is stored securely in Australia's national electronic prescription system. Losing the SMS is like losing a car key, not the car. You have three ways to get back in, and the fastest usually takes one phone call.
For a repeat: call the pharmacy that last dispensed it
If the token you lost was for a repeat, contact the pharmacy that dispensed your medicine last time. Repeat tokens are issued by the dispensing pharmacy, and they can re-send the token to your phone or email. Most pharmacies handle this over the phone in a couple of minutes.
(Tired of this happening? There's a way to keep every token in one place — covered below.)
For an original script: ask your GP clinic to re-send it
If you lost the original token (the one sent when your doctor first wrote the script), contact your GP's clinic and ask them to re-send it. The prescription is still sitting in the system unchanged — the clinic simply re-issues the same token by SMS or email. A receptionist can usually do this without an appointment, and there is no charge for re-sending a token.
Register for an Active Script List so tokens stop mattering
An Active Script List (ASL) is a free, government-backed feature of the electronic prescription system that lets a pharmacist see all your active eScripts by verifying your identity — no token, no SMS, no QR code needed.
Visit a participating community pharmacy (most now offer it)
Bring your mobile phone and identification — the pharmacy will confirm exactly what ID they need
The pharmacist sets it up on the spot and asks for your consent to the terms
From then on, new electronic prescriptions are automatically added to your list
Any participating pharmacy can dispense from it with your consent — even if you never find the SMS
If you regularly juggle multiple scripts, this is worth doing once so a lost text never sends you back to the GP again.
Why this keeps happening to everyone
Losing an eScript isn't carelessness — the system almost guarantees it happens eventually:
They arrive by SMS or email and get buried under delivery notifications and family group chats within hours of arriving.
When the pharmacy dispenses your medicine, the token you used is cancelled and a new one is sent for the next repeat. The QR code you carefully screenshotted last month is already dead — this is the single most confusing thing about eScripts, and nobody explains it at the counter.
Often from different senders, with nothing on the message telling you which medicine it belongs to at a glance.
So the message thread that starts tidy in January is an unsearchable pile by June — right when you're standing at the chemist counter.
How to stop losing them: keep every eScript in one place
This is the problem MediRemind was built for. Instead of hunting through months of text messages:
Scan the QR, photograph it, or paste the link from the SMS. Takes seconds.
Labelled by medicine, with your repeat count beside it. No more guessing which SMS thread is which medication.
Medication information is stored on your device — not on our servers. Information is shared only when you choose to use a sharing function.
eScript is a registered Australian Government electronic prescribing system. MediRemind does not sell or dispense medication. The eScript import feature stores your existing government-issued eScript token for personal record-keeping only.
Add each eScript to MediRemind as it arrives — scan the QR or paste the link. Every script, every repeat, one screen. Stored on your phone, nowhere else.
30-day free trial · No sign-up to browse
Free to download · 30-day free trial
Worried about running out before you sort the token? Calculate your exact run-out date →
Frequently asked questions
I deleted the eScript SMS. Is my prescription gone?
No. The SMS only contains the token (the key). The prescription itself remains in the national electronic prescription system. Ask your GP clinic (original script) or your last dispensing pharmacy (repeat) to re-send the token.
Why doesn't my old eScript QR code work anymore?
Each token works once. When a pharmacy dispenses your medicine, that token is cancelled and a new token is issued for your next repeat. If you saved a screenshot of an old QR code, it stops working after that dispense.
Can a pharmacy find my prescription without the token?
Yes, if you're registered for an Active Script List (ASL). The pharmacist verifies your identity, and with your consent can see and dispense from your list of active electronic prescriptions — no token required. Register at a participating pharmacy with your mobile phone and ID.
Does it cost anything to have an eScript token re-sent?
No. Re-sending a token is free — it re-issues the same prescription. You only pay the normal cost of the medicine when it's dispensed.
Do eScripts expire?
Electronic prescriptions have the same legal life as paper ones — most PBS prescriptions are valid for 12 months from the date of prescribing (some medicines less). Losing the token doesn't change the expiry; the clock runs from when the doctor wrote it.
What if the pharmacy and the GP clinic are both closed?
For non-urgent situations, wait and call when they open. If you urgently need a medicine after hours, call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for advice on your options.
The next repeat token is already on its way to your messages. Put it somewhere you'll find it.
30-day free trial
Free to download · 30-day free trial
This article is general information, not medical advice. Electronic prescription processes are set by the Australian Digital Health Agency and can change — if in doubt, ask your pharmacist. Last reviewed July 2026.