A key aim of the regulations is to control the potential for the misuse of hard drugs by implementing a system to identify and regulate ‘doctor shopping’.
Health Minister John Day says the legislation “establishes the legal framework for the transfer of information about the prescribing and dispensing of controlled drugs such as morphine and dexamphetamine, through the use of real-time reporting systems.”
This will involve replacing the current pharmaceutical monitoring system with the new, real-time system.
Under the regulations, authorised health professionals who administer or supply medicines that are Schedule 4 or 8 poisons must ensure that the following information is recorded on the clinical record:
- the name, quantity, strength and form of the medicine
- the address of the person treated (and if the medicine is a Schedule 8 poison – the date of birth of the person and name and address of the prescriber)
- the date on which the medicine is supplied or administered
- the prescription reference number and date of issue
In the case of a Schedule 4 poison, the record must be kept for at least 2 years. In the case of a Schedule 8 poison, the record must be kept for at least 5 years.
The record must be provided to the CEO at times specified and be produced for inspection on request.
It is expected that the transition to the new system will be completed by late 2018.
The regulations can be found here.
The Minister’s media release can be found here.
