How to create and manage prescriptions
Subtitle: 🇬🇧🇮🇪🇦🇺🇳🇿🇨🇦 UK/ROI, APAC, CA — Create structured prescriptions, print them for wet signature, and track them on the patient record.
Overview
You can now create, print, and track prescriptions for a patient from the dedicated Prescriptions tab, as well as directly from the Chart next to Estimates
You can:
Start from Prescription templates, or Start blank and build the prescription yourself
Add one or more medications with strength, form, directions, quantity, and refills
Review patient and prescriber details, then Finish and print
Reprint, Duplicate, or Cancel a prescription later
For Australian practices, print in PBS or Standard format
Prescriptions are given a practice reference such as RX-00012, and appear on the patient’s Prescriptions list and in clinical history.
📝 Please note: The dedicated Prescriptions workflow is being rolled out gradually. If you do not see a Prescriptions tab on the patient record, it may not yet be available for your practice. Older Correspondence-based prescription flows will still be available until your practice is moved across. For the previous UK/ROI, CA, and NZ letter workflow, see How to create a prescription . For the previous Australian Correspondence PBS workflow, see How to create PBS prescriptions for Australian practices .
Before you start
Permissions
Most users with access to the patient record can view prescriptions.
To create a prescription, you need permission level 2 or above, or level 1 with Level 1 users can create v2 prescriptions enabled on your user account.
To manage Prescription templates and the Medications catalogue, you need permission level 3 or above, or level 2 as an active dentist at the current site.
To cancel a prescription, you need permission level 3 or above, or level 2 as an active dentist at the current site.
Non-dentist users must choose a Prescriber before finishing. The prescriber must be an active dentist at the current site.
Set up prescription templates and medications
Practice administrators and authorised clinicians can set up reusable templates and the practice formulary.
Go to Settings → Treatment & Plans → Prescriptions.
Open Prescription templates to add templates clinicians can pick when prescribing.
Use Add to create a template.
Use Edit, Duplicate, or the star (Favourite) on a template row as needed.
Search with Search prescription templates.
Turn Available to prescribe on or off for each template.
Open Medications to maintain the medications available to prescribe.
Mark a medication as Controlled if required for your records.
Marking a medication as Controlled doesn't change the printed prescription. For controlled drugs, check that the prescription meets your region's requirements.
Turn Available to prescribe on or off. Inactive medications are hidden, including in templates that use them.
💡 Top tip: Favourites are personal. Star the templates you use most so they appear first when you create a new prescription.
How to create a prescription
You can start from either place:
Patient record → Prescriptions → New prescription
Patient record → Chart → New prescription in the treatment plan footer next to Estimates
1. Choose templates or start blank
On New prescription, search with Search by medication name, tag or prescription template...
Select one or more templates. Selected items appear in the Selected panel.
Or click Start blank to build the prescription from scratch.
Click Continue.
📝 Please note: If you already selected templates and then choose Start blank, Dentally asks you to confirm. You can Keep medications or Start blank.
2. Add or edit medications
For each medication card, complete:
Medication
Strength
Form (for example Tablet, Capsule, Liquid, Mouthwash)
Directions
Quantity
Refills
Use Edit or Remove on a card as needed.
Use Add blank or Add another to include more medications.
Check the patient banner for any medical alerts.
Optionally view Recently prescribed medication or Recent visit for context.
Add Internal notes (not printed) if you want notes for the clinical record only.
Click Continue to review.
🇦🇺 Australia only: If you are writing a PBS prescription, add the Pharmaceutical benefits entitlement number. Dentally shows: Writing a PBS prescription? Add the entitlement number below and keep it to 3 items or less. Soft warnings appear if the prescription may not fit a PBS pad; you can still continue and print in Standard format if needed.
📝 Please note: Dentally doesn't check prescriptions for allergies, drug interactions or dose limits. Review the patient's medical history before you prescribe.
3. Review and finish
On Review prescription, check the patient and prescriber details.
If a Prescriber dropdown is shown, choose the dentist who is prescribing.
Click Finish and print.
If asked to Confirm prescriber, check the name, then click Finish and print again, or Go back.
Dentally finalises the prescription, shows Prescription finalised, and assigns a reference such as RX-00012.
📝 Please note: Once finished, the prescription cannot be edited. Use Duplicate to create a new prescription based on it, or Cancel prescription if it should not be used.
4. Print the prescription
On Print preview, review the script.
Click Print to print it.
Click Complete when you are finished. Dentally shows Prescription completed and returns you to the prescriptions list (or the chart, if you started from there).
🇦🇺 Australia only: Use the Print format toggle to choose PBS or Standard before printing.
Hand-sign the printed prescription as required for your region. Dentally does not email prescriptions to pharmacies and does not send e-prescriptions.
How to find and open a prescription
Open the patient record and go to the Prescriptions tab.
Use the list filters for Prescriber, Prescription date, and Status (Finalised, Printed, or Cancelled).
Open a prescription to see Medications, Prescriber, Patient, Status timeline, Print log, Clinical context, and Print count.
Prescriptions also appear in Chart clinical history and link back to the RX-… record.
How to print or reprint a prescription
Open the prescription from the Prescriptions tab.
Open the actions menu.
Select Print or Reprint.
🇦🇺 Australia: choose Print - PBS, Print - Standard, Reprint - PBS, or Reprint - Standard.
Finalised means the prescription has been finished and is ready to print. Printed appears after a print has been recorded on that prescription.
How to duplicate a prescription
Open the prescription.
Open the actions menu and select Duplicate.
A new copy opens with the medications pre-filled.
Edit as needed, then continue through review and Finish and print.
How to cancel a prescription
Open the prescription.
Open the actions menu and select Cancel prescription.
Confirm. Cancelling cannot be undone.
The status changes to Cancelled.
📝 Please note: You can't print or reprint a cancelled prescription. It stays on the patient's record, marked as Cancelled, and you can still duplicate it.
What appears on the printed prescription
Region | Patient identifier | Prescriber registration |
UK (England/Wales) | NHS number | GDC number |
UK (Scotland) | CHI number | GDC number |
UK (Northern Ireland) | Health & Care number | GDC number |
Ireland | — | Dental Council number |
Canada | — | CDA provider number, Prescriber number |
Australia | Medicare number, PBS entitlement number (optional) | Provider number, Prescriber number |
New Zealand | NHI number | DCNZ number |
Make sure practitioner registration and patient identifiers are up to date before prescribing. Australian practices should also have a Prescriber number on the practitioner profile when printing PBS scripts.
Notes
This workflow creates structured paper prescriptions for wet signature. It does not email the pharmacy or create an electronic prescription.
Internal notes (not printed) stay on the clinical record and do not appear on the printed script.
Finished prescriptions cannot be edited. They can be Duplicated or Canceled.
Cancel is permanent. You cannot restore a cancelled prescription.
There is no separate controlled-drug print path in this workflow. Medications can be marked Controlled in Settings for your formulary.
Use Share feedback on the Prescriptions list if you want to send product feedback about prescriptions.
Related older articles (Correspondence prescriptions): How to create a prescription , How to create PBS prescriptions for Australian practices .
FAQs
Why can I not see the Prescriptions tab?
The dedicated Prescriptions workflow may not yet be enabled for your practice. Contact your practice administrator or Dentally support. You may still be able to create prescriptions from Correspondence using the previous flow.
Why can I not click New prescription?
You need permission level 2 or above, or level 1 with Level 1 users can create v2 prescriptions enabled. Ask a practice administrator to update your user permissions.
Can reception create a prescription for the dentist to sign?
If level 1 users have been granted permission to create prescriptions, they can create the prescription and must select the Prescriber. The printed script still needs to be hand-signed by the prescribing clinician as required in your region.
Who can be set as the Prescriber of a prescription?
Only active dentists at the current site. That is, level 2 or above practitioners at the current site who also have the Dentist role. All other users must assign the prescription to a valid dentist.
Can I edit a prescription after Finish and print?
No. Finish locks the prescription. Use Duplicate to create a new one, or Cancel prescription if it should not be used.
What is the difference between Finalised and Printed?
Finalised means the prescription has been completed and added to the patient record. Printed means a print has been recorded for that prescription.
Can I email a prescription to the pharmacy?
No. This workflow is for printing a paper prescription only.
How do Australian practices print PBS prescriptions?
Add the Pharmaceutical benefits entitlement number when composing the prescription, keep the script to three items or fewer for PBS pads where possible, then choose PBS under Print format on print preview (or Print - PBS / Reprint - PBS from an existing prescription).
Where do I manage prescription templates?
Go to Settings → Treatment Settings → Prescriptions → Prescription templates, or open Prescription templates from the patient Prescriptions list if you have permission.
Are favourite templates shared with the whole practice?
No. Favourites are per user. Star the templates you use most so they appear first for you.
What happened to creating prescriptions from Correspondence?
The previous Correspondence prescription and Australian PBS flows may still be available during rollout. The dedicated Prescriptions tab is the current structured workflow. Until your practice fully moves across, follow the article that matches the screens you see.
Can I create an NHS prescription in Dentally?
🇬🇧 UK / NHS
No. NHS prescriptions (for example FP10 or equivalent) must be handwritten — that is an NHS requirement, not a Dentally one. Dentally does not produce NHS prescription stationery.
You can still record the same prescription in the Prescriptions tab so there is a searchable digital record in the patient’s clinical history for your practice to review or report on. Use your usual NHS handwritten script for the patient to take to the pharmacy.
Why can I not assign a prescription to myself as a level 2 or above user?
You must have the Dentist role and be an active practitioner at the site you are logged into to be set as the Prescriber. Ask a practice administrator to update your role and practitioner details if they are incorrect.