PHARMACISTS need to have referral pathways to drug support services when patients are red flagged by real-time prescription monitoring systems, Victorian Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Emma Kealy, believes.
Speaking in the Victorian Legislative Assembly on Tue, Kealy raised concerns that the SafeScript system was leading patients to turn to illicit drugs when they were denied prescription medications.
Kealy described the failure to include a referral system as part of SafeScript as "criminal".
"It is absolutely amazing to consider that over 1.2 million red flags have been raised in Victoria over the past two years," she said.
"This is very, very concerning from the point that there simply has not been the back end of the system put in place in regard to SafeScript.
"The IT system has been rolled out, which is great, but we have not seen the support mechanisms put in place.
"It has been so sad to hear from pharmacists who know that they are unable to dispense to somebody who has been given this red flag, but they have not been given any structure over where they then refer them - what alcohol and other drug support can they provide to them and what treatment options are available to them.
"Sadly, as a result, I have heard of instances where people have turned to the black market.
"We cannot just cut people off, just leave [them] to their own devices and let them go cold turkey without any support at all.
"It is a critical failure in the rollout of SafeScript, because it is so much more than just an IT system.
"It is absolutely an alert system, but we need to make sure we have the support at the back end to make sure individuals who are battling with addiction to pain medication have got the support to reduce their use of that pain medication or be given alternatives and not be forced to just go cold turkey.
"To have a SafeScript system and then not put the wraparound services in place - which this government promised - is absolutely criminal.
"It is dangerous, and it is why we see people dying."
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