The PSA says it welcomes the launch of Victoria’s real-time prescription monitoring program, SafeScript, aimed at tackling rising prescription-drug-related deaths.
SafeScript will automatically transmit pharmacies’ prescription records for high-risk medicines to a centralised database. It will use these records to send notifications to prescribers and pharmacists when they need to review a patient’s history.
“SafeScript is Victoria’s first mandatory clinical decision support system to combat pharmaceutical misuse,” said PSA Victoria President Benjamin Marchant, a member of the SafeScript Advisory Group.
“We are grateful for the [state] government’s initiative to support pharmacists and prescribers to improve quality of care and ultimately reduce overdose deaths related to opioids.”
SafeScript will monitor all Schedule 8 medicines and Schedule 4 benzodiazepines, z-drugs and quetiapine.
After the launch of SafeScript at Ballarat Base Hospital this week Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy, the program is running initially in the Western Victoria Primary Health Network and will be implemented across the state by early next year.
