The Health Directorate is to provide ACT prescribers and pharmacists with a new and improved real time prescription monitoring service to keep track of patients double dipping their prescriptions.
Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith said the new system, Canberra Script, would help reduce pharmaceutical harm in the community.
“Australia has a growing problem with the misuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“This can have a devastating impact on individuals and their families,” she said.
“Canberra Script will give ACT doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists a better view of what their consumers are using.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said the system would include real time alerts to notify doctors and pharmacists where patients may be exhibiting signs of drug-seeking behaviour, such as ‘doctor shopping’.
She said Canberra Script formed part of the national real time prescription monitoring system (RTPM) being implemented across Australia and would replace the ACT’s existing monitoring system.
“Canberra Script is not intended to disadvantage consumers where there is a legitimate clinical need for a medicine and where a prescriber is authorised to prescribe a medicine for them,” she said.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the Health Directorate was working with the Australian Government and other partners to make the system available to pilot sites later this year before a rollout to all providers in early 2022.
