All eNRMC vendors conform to new standards: "a huge relief"

All 10 electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC) software vendors operating under the eNRMC Transitional Arrangement have now been deemed conformant.

The milestone marks the end of the grace period for software vendors operating under temporary transitional arrangements, allowing aged care operators to use systems without full electronic prescribing capability.

Conformance was originally due by 1 October 2025, but the deadline was extended three times, with the final extension pushed to 1 April 2026, applying only to Telstra Health and Strong Room Technologies. All other vendors, such as LeeCare Solutions’ P6Med software, conformed.

Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson told The Weekly SOURCE, "Unfortunately, a number of vendors failed to be compliant by last October’s deadline and Ageing Australia had to negotiate an urgent extension to ensure that thousands of older people in residential care weren’t forced back to paper prescriptions."

He said Ageing Australia "welcomes" the news all 10 vendors now conform.

"This issue has had a huge impact on a number of providers, including some of our largest members," he said.

"It is a huge relief to know that vendors have now come up to standard as this takes some pressure off the care providers who were left in the lurch through no fault of their own.” 

The deadline for aged care homes using a Transitional eNRMC system to adopt electronic prescribing conformant eNRMC systems is 31 December 2026, otherwise they must revert to paper-based prescriptions.

What is an eNRMC system?

An eNRMC system is an electronic medication management system used in residential aged care homes to electronically prescribe, supply, and track medicine administration.

eNRMC systems provide increased flexibility, coordination, and access to real-time medicine information across multiple care settings, reducing the burden on care teams and reducing resident safety risks.

The shift to eNRMC systems came in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The temporary transitional arrangement began in 2022, allowing aged care homes to begin using eNRMC systems before full electronic prescribing functionality was available.

eNRMC vendors have been operating under a temporary arrangement since 2022 while they align with the national standards.