Real-time reporting call
July 7, 2014
NSW Deputy State Coroner,
Carmel Forbes, has urged that realtime
prescription reporting for all
benzodiazepines be implemented
as soon as possible, as one of the
key recommendations from an
inquest into the deaths of three
people from overdoses.
Forbes has called on the NSW
Health Minister to consider steps
needed to implement real-time
reporting within twelve months,
to allow GPs to see if their patients
have been prescribed medications
by other doctors.
Such a system would also allow
pharmacists to check if the same
medications have been recently
dispensed to the patient through
other pharmacies.
PSA NSW president, Dr Stephen
Carter, said the PSA had been
advocating strongly for this system
for an extended period.
“A system exists which we
understand links with prescribing
and dispensing software, and the
Commonwealth Government has
purchased software licences for all
States and Territories,” he said.
Carter said the PSA had previously
been informed that the rollout of
the system would take three years,
with tentative implementation in
2015 - but no funds were included
in the recent NSW health budget.
The Real Time Drug Monitoring
System is recognised by PSA and
the medical profession as reducing
the risks of doctor shopping,
reducing the harm caused by the
misuse of prescription drugs and
saving many lives, Carter said.
Forbes also called for all S4
benzodiazepines, including Serepax,
Valium and Mogadon, to be moved
to Schedule 8.
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