# Pharmacy step 6: prescriptions for online orders

> Require a prescription upload for Rx medicines on your online store, review it in Website › Prescriptions, and approve or reject held orders.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/pharmacy/step-6-prescriptions/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

If your pharmacy sells online, prescription-only medicines need a valid prescription before you dispense them. SmartPOS Hub lets customers upload a prescription at checkout and holds the order until your pharmacist approves it.

> **How to turn it on**
> 1. **Plan:** Website (online store) must be included in your plan
> 2. **Switch:** Website › Settings & API › Catalog & prescriptions: prescriptions on, with approval
> 3. **Permission:** Staff with access to the Website back office

## Before you start

- Your online store is set up; see [Online store overview](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/overview/).
- Prescription-only medicines have **Prescription required = Yes** ([step 3](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/pharmacy/step-3-medicine-details-generic-and-rx/)).

## Turn on prescriptions

1. Open **Website › Settings & API**.
2. On the **Catalog & prescriptions** tab, switch on prescriptions and require approval before the order goes ahead.
3. Save. A **Prescriptions** item appears under **Website** in the menu.

## Review prescriptions

1. Open **Website › Prescriptions**. The **Waiting for review** tab lists new uploads with the customer, notes and whether they are linked to an order.
2. Click **Open** to view the file.
3. Write a **Note to the customer** if needed.
4. Click **Approve** to release the order, or **Reject** to cancel it and tell the customer why.
5. Approved and rejected prescriptions move to their own tabs for your records.

![Website Prescriptions page with Waiting for review, Approved and Rejected tabs and a note that orders with prescription items are held until approval](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/website-prescriptions.MePSSRt0.png) (web app page: `/website/prescriptions`)
*Orders with prescription items are held, with no stock moved, until you approve.*

## After approval

The order continues like any online order in **Website › Orders**: prepare it, pick the batch, and hand it over for pickup or delivery. See [Website orders](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/website-orders/).

## In the shop

For walk-in patients, check the paper prescription at the counter, select the patient as customer and write the prescription reference or doctor's name in the sale note. A pharmacy receipt layout can print it in a prescription box ([step 5](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/pharmacy/step-5-sell-by-strip-and-box/)).

  - [Step 7: Customer credit](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/pharmacy/step-7-customer-credit/)
  - [Online store](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/online-store/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Who can see uploaded prescriptions?

Only your signed-in team. Prescription files are private and open only for staff with access to the website back office; they are never public.

### What happens to an order while the prescription waits for review?

The order is held. No stock moves and online card payment is not taken; the customer pays after approval or on collection.

### What happens when I reject a prescription?

The order is cancelled and the customer is told why, using the note you write.

### Which products need a prescription online?

Products whose Prescription required field is set to Yes, in the Pharmacy product fields.

### Can customers see their prescriptions later?

Yes. Signed-in customers see their uploaded prescriptions and their status in their account on your online store.