How to send a fax to a Canadian pharmacy

Who can fax what to a pharmacy

Rules for prescriptions are set provincially, through each province's pharmacy legislation and its college of pharmacists. In general, a faxed prescription is accepted when it comes directly from the prescriber or the prescriber's office, so the pharmacy can verify where it came from. A patient faxing a photo of a paper prescription they were handed is usually not accepted; bring the original to the pharmacy or ask the clinic to fax it.

Other documents, such as a drug coverage form, a care home's medication list or a pharmacist's question back to a clinic, are often faxed too. When in doubt, call the pharmacy and ask what they need and in what form.

Sending the fax step by step

FaxToFax.com, the service sendafax.ca recommends, runs in any modern browser, so a clinic can send from the reception computer or a tablet without a fax machine.

1. Save the document as a PDF, or scan the signed paper. A prescription created in your clinic system can usually be printed to PDF.
2. Sign in with your email and the one-time code.
3. Attach the PDF, PNG or JPG file, or compose a short note in the editor on your clinic letterhead.
4. Add a cover page with the clinic name, prescriber, a contact phone number, the number of pages and a confidentiality notice. Keep the patient's health details off the cover page.
5. Enter the pharmacy's fax number and check it when it is confirmed before sending.
6. Send, then wait for the status to change to Delivered. A time-stamped delivery receipt is saved with the fax.

If the fax does not go through

A fax marked Failed uses no pages. Check the number, then try again. If it fails twice, call the pharmacy: their machine may be out of paper or the line may be busy during a rush. Pharmacies with a single fax line are often busiest in the morning, so a quieter time of day can help.