In Australia, medicine prescriptions can be electronically sent to patients via a text message that includes a link to https://auscripts.erx.com.au/scripts/…text…
This link/file type can be opened in multiple apps but there is no way to specify which one you want to open it in. It defaults to one app and you have to keep deleting apps to open it in the one you want.
Ideally this link should open and add a record in the national health record for the patient and be visible in the national 1800Medicare app. However, tapping on the link will only open in the 1800Medicare app if it is the ONLY app installed on the phone that can read the url. If there are other apps installed that can also open those links, then it will choose one of them.
FOR EXAMPLE
- Take three apps 1800Medicare (the national medical record app) and HealthEngine or HotDoc (these are apps for booking doctors appointments and ordering prescriptions through chemists)
- If all three are installed: HealthEngine, HotDoco, 1800Medicare, then the ERX links in text messages can only be opened in the HealthEngine app or with a long press on the link force open in the Safari browser.
- If HealthEngine is deleted from the phone, then the ERX links open in HotDoc or long press to open in Safari.
- Only after deleting both HealthEngine and HotDoc, will the links automatically open in 1800Medicare (or long press for Safari).
So in order to have your prescriptions recorded in your health record, you have to delete all apps for booking doctors appointments and online prescriptions ordering. That’s really frustrating as most people want to update their official health record as well as be able to book appointments and order prescriptions through online chemists.
Both eRx Script Exchange (who provide the National Prescription Delivery Service and the prescription links/URLs) and 1800Medicare say they can’t control the order of apps their file type/URL open in. That seems odd.
I’m not a programmer but I read a little about Universal Links. Perhaps they are missing something?
Ideally a patient will want to do this:
- Click a link to https://auscripts.erx.com.au/scripts/… in a text message
- Either, Long press to see the pop up menu with choices for
- Open in “1800Medicare”
- Open in “HealthEngine”
- Open in “HotDoc”
- Open in Safari
- Share… (and be able to see each of these apps in the share list)
- And/or, be able to select the default app to open these links in the same way you can set the default app for Email, Messaging, Calling, Browsers App, Translation and so on (Settings>Apps>Default Apps)
Does iOS allow for choosing which apps specific file types/link in? Unfortunately both vendors say this is beyond there control and it’s just what iOS does.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: How can you choose which app a file opens in? Australian eRX prescriptions won’t open in the Medicare app if doctor’s appointments booking apps such as HealthEngine or HotDoc are installed.
