When you issue a prescription with Issue Immediately, the system sends it to the AES Portal for an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) — a legally binding digital signature recognised under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (Regulation 219).
- The prescription data is sent to the AES Portal
- You will be prompted to authorise the signature using MFA (your TOTP authenticator app)
- The AES Portal creates a PAdES-B-LTA signed PDF
- The signed PDF hash is stored in the prescription record
- A GP Notification Log entry is created automatically
- The pharmacy receives an email notification
| Status |
Meaning |
Action Needed |
| SIGNED |
Successfully AES-signed and valid |
None — ready for dispensing |
| PENDING |
Awaiting signature |
Return to the prescription and complete signing |
| FAILED |
AES signing encountered an error |
Contact your Registered Manager or VeriPath support |
If the AES signing fails:
- Check your MFA device is working — you may need to re-enrol (ask your Registered Manager)
- Verify the AES Portal is accessible — try loading the portal URL
- Try re-saving the prescription and attempting to sign again
- If the issue persists, contact VeriPath support
Once signed:
- The prescription status changes to ACTIVE
- The pharmacy receives a notification email
- A GP Notification Log entry is created (see GP Notifications guide)
- The prescription can be viewed in your prescription list with the AES signature evidence
An Advanced Electronic Signature is:
- Uniquely linked to you as the prescriber
- Capable of identifying you
- Created under your sole control via MFA
- Tamper-evident — any change after signing invalidates the signature
This is a legally valid signature for private electronic prescriptions in the UK. A standard email, scanned signature, or password-protected PDF is not legally valid.
- Ensure your MFA device is always available during prescribing sessions
- Never share your MFA codes or signing credentials with anyone
- Check the AES status of each prescription before informing the patient it is ready
- If you make an error on a signed prescription, cancel it and issue a new one — do not edit