Electronic medication management
Digital health systems such as electronic medication management (EMM) can improve the safety and quality of health care.
By using EMM, healthcare services can reduce the number of preventable adverse medication events, and medication prescribing and dispensing errors. EMM systems can improve the accuracy, visibility and legibility of medical information, so that the communication between professionals and consumers is clearer.
Revised EMM Self-Assessment Tool
The Commission has released an updated Electronic Medication Management Self-Assessment Tool (EMMSAT) to assist health services with independent assessment and optimisation of their EMM system implementation.
Released in November 2025, the online tool facilitates flexible, multi-disciplinary assessment against a set of domains and indicators.
Where to start
To explore how the EMMSAT could support your organisation’s journey through EMM system optimisation, access the online EMMSAT (external link). Alternatively, you may wish to start by reading the EMMSAT fact sheet to have your key questions answered.
A Site Administrator will need to be nominated by your organisation to access the full functionality of the EMMSAT. To register, complete the EMMSAT Site Administrator Nomination Form.
The EMMSAT User Guide is also available to step out the process. The User Guide includes information around governance, registration and the methodology for undertaking an improvement cycle using the online tool.
Where to go for help
Assistance is always available along the way, please email emmsat@safetyandquality.gov.au for further information on any of the above or for technical support.
Feedback
As a new tool to support hospitals on the EMM System optimisation journey, we welcome your feedback for improvements that could be made to the online tool or support materials at any time on the address above.
A short survey is also available to provide feedback on your experience at the completion of an improvement cycle. Feedback from the survey will be used by the Commission to inform future updates and improvements to the EMMSAT.
EMMSAT resources
Domains and indicators
For information about the domains and indicators used in the EMM Self-Assessment Tool please see the Electronic Medication Management Self-Assessment Domain and Indicators Summary:
Fact sheet and User Guide
The following resources have been developed to assist health service organisations conducting a self-assessment using the EMMSAT:
Nomination Form for Site Administrator
This form should be used by health service organisations to nominate a site administrator and access the full functionality of the EMMSAT.
Domains and indicators
For information about the domains and indicators used in the EMM Self-Assessment Tool please see the Electronic Medication Management Self-Assessment Domain and Indicators Summary:
Fact sheet and User Guide
The following resources have been developed to assist health service organisations conducting a self-assessment using the EMMSAT:
Nomination Form for Site Administrator
This form should be used by health service organisations to nominate a site administrator and access the full functionality of the EMMSAT.
Overview
EMM can apply to:
- Prescribing systems, such as general practitioner desktop systems or hospital clinical information systems that have electronic ordering
- Decision support systems, such as evidence-based order sets, allergy checking and medicine interactions
- Dispensing systems, such as pharmacy software and automated dispensing systems
- Ordering and supply solutions, such as the electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP) and inventory solutions
- Electronic medical records.
Resources to support EMM
Implementation
The Commission has developed resources to support EMM systems.
EMM is supported through the consistent and standardised presentation of medicines information and the [former] Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) endorsed the following guidelines for this purpose:
The National Guidelines for On-Screen Display of Medicines Information provide an evidence-based approach to maximise patient safety.
Business requirements
The Electronic Medication Management Systems Business Requirements (the Requirements) are an annexe to the Electronic Medication Management Systems: A guide to safe implementation (third edition), published by the Commission in 2019.
The Requirements aim to support health services procure and assess EMM systems.
Literature reviews
The Requirements were brought together from published and unpublished information sources and validated by an expert panel. The Commission has incorporated other EMM business requirements arising from the Australian context, including medication safety priorities, technical standards and national infrastructure initiatives.
The following literature review informed the development of the guide and the Requirements:
Implementation
The Commission has developed resources to support EMM systems.
EMM is supported through the consistent and standardised presentation of medicines information and the [former] Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) endorsed the following guidelines for this purpose:
The National Guidelines for On-Screen Display of Medicines Information provide an evidence-based approach to maximise patient safety.
Business requirements
The Electronic Medication Management Systems Business Requirements (the Requirements) are an annexe to the Electronic Medication Management Systems: A guide to safe implementation (third edition), published by the Commission in 2019.
The Requirements aim to support health services procure and assess EMM systems.
Literature reviews
The Requirements were brought together from published and unpublished information sources and validated by an expert panel. The Commission has incorporated other EMM business requirements arising from the Australian context, including medication safety priorities, technical standards and national infrastructure initiatives.
The following literature review informed the development of the guide and the Requirements:
Contact
For any enquiries or assistance with the EMMSAT please email emmsat@safetyandquality.gov.au.