What is SafeScript? Accessing Prescription History of Patients

Are you a practitioner in Victoria? Are you prepared for the upcoming regulatory changes to take place in July 2018?

The Victorian government has confirmed that it will be implementing “SafeScript”, a real-time prescription monitoring system. The aim of the system is to reduce the growing harms (including deaths) associated with high-risk prescription medicines. This new system will provide health professionals with access to the prescription history of their patients. It will better enable the health practitioner to decide on the best course of medical treatment for the patient. The changes will first be implemented in Western Victoria Primary Health Network catchment area to be followed by the rest of the State in 2019. The legislative framework required to implement these changes was passed in October 2017 through Parliament (Drugs, Poison and Controlled Substances Amendment (Real-time Prescription Monitoring) Act 2017).

The Government has proposed an 18-month transitional period. This time will allow health practitioners to familiarise themselves with the new system. After this transitional period it will become mandatory for all health practitioners to check SafeScript before any prescription is dispensed for high-risk medicines. SafeScript will monitor those medicines causing the greatest harm to the Victorian community. Data collection should start to take effect as of 1 July 2018. This data will provide accurate information, from the first day of use, to practitioners.

Once SafeScript is initiated, the legislation requires pharmacists and all registered medical practitioners to take all reasonable steps to ensure the database is working before prescribing or supplying “monitored medicines”.

Contact Allied Legal

 The content of this article is an update for practitioners on important regulatory changes from 1 July 2018.  Allied Legal’s lawyers in Melbourne can help you with these and other issues.  We provide free 30-minute initial consultations to help understand your needs.  Please contact us when you are ready to seek specialist advice: http://alliedlegal.com.au/contact/.