Pharmacy Daily | SafeScript NSW to roll out statewide

PHARMACISTS across NSW are being invited to register to access the state's real-time prescription medicine monitoring system, SafeScript NSW, ahead of a statewide launch on Mon.

Addressing a webinar co-hosted by NSW Health and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) last night, SafeScript NSW Clinical Analyst, Stephen Ling, said emails will be sent out to NSW-based pharmacists in the coming days with links to the program's self-registration portal.

The system will monitor all Schedule 8 medicines, opioids, benzodiazepine, psychostimulants prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy, and sleeping aids - zolpidem and zopiclone.

Ling told delegates that once they have registered they will be able to enable SafeScript NSW in their dispensing software to receive notifications when dispensing monitored medicines.

"SafeScript NSW will operate in the background, until you dispense a monitored medicine, when pop-up notifications will display based on information held about the patient in SafeScript NSW," he said.

"Only prescribers or pharmacists who are using integrated clinical software will receive pop-up notifications on their desktop software.

"Prescribers and pharmacists not using integrated software can still access the SafeScript NSW portal to check the patient's prescription and dispensing history."

While manual access to the system will be available for pharmacists, Ling stressed, "only users with the right security credentials, and who are involved in a patient's care can access a patient's monitored medication history in SafeScript NSW".

"Patient searches by prescribers and pharmacists are logged and will be audited to monitor unauthorised or inappropriate access," he said.

Ling added that it was important for pharmacists to remember that alerts triggered by SafeScript NSW are not instructions not to dispense.

"The decision [to dispense] remains with you, because you're the person in the best position to make that decision," he said.

"SafeScript NSW will provide you with additional information and context to help you to be better informed whichever decision you make.

"But you do remain best placed to consult with the patient and their prescriber to determine whether these medicines remain the safest option based on the individual patient's history, needs and circumstances".