AUSTRALIA'S federal, state and territory health ministers have jointly agreed to "progress national real-time prescription monitoring" (RTPM), with the update revealed in a communiqu from the Council of Australian Governments Health Council meeting in Sydney on Fri.
The document confirmed the ministers wish to pursue a federated model for RTPM, "with jurisdictions committed to progressing development and adaptation of systems to connect to and interface with Commonwealth systems to achieve a national solution".
The Pharmacy Guild welcomed the commitment, saying "with unanimous support across all states and territories, there is every reason to expect a national real time prescription monitoring system can be achieved as soon as possible so that lives can be saved.
"The solution must be nationally consistent to be fit for purpose - namely to connect prescribers and dispensers in real time so that clinicians can be informed and make decisions to minimise the risk of drug abuse and death," said Guild president George Tambassis.
He noted that the pharmacy profession had been calling for such a system for many years "and we stand ready to assist in the implementation of a national system to address the scourge of prescription drug abuse".
MEANWHILE the health ministers also agreed to progress the development of a single national online application pathway to access unregistered medicinal cannabis products.
The process would avoid duplication of decisions regarding clinical appropriateness, while maintaining separate approvals by states and territories necessary in managing appropriate access to Schedule 8 products.
The COAG meeting also discussed a proposal to increase the minimum legal age of tobacco purchase to 21 years, and referred the plan to the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council.
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