First we have:
DORA the ignorer: Prescription-tracking system failing to monitor all high-risk addictive drugs
Diazepam, quetiapine and fluoxetine contributed to ex-Navy submariner's death, says coroner
2nd October 2018
A coroner has stressed the need for real-time script-tracking software to cover addictive schedule 4 drugs such as diazepam and quetiapine, not just opioids.
The Tasmanian coroner made the comments after investigating the 2014 death of 44-year-old ex-Navy submariner Michael Allan Steer, who died from a toxic combination of prescription medication.
Toxicology analysis revealed the presence of diazepam, quetiapine, fluoxetine, paracetamol and codeine.
Since 2012, GPs in Tasmania have had access to DORA, a real-time prescription monitoring system, which was introduced to help prevent prescription drug misuse.
The first of its kind in Australia, DORA tracks schedule 8 opioids and alprazolam when they are prescribed and dispensed, plus schedule 4 opioids such as codeine and tramadol when they are dispensed.
Lots more here:
Then, and related we have this:
Death prompts call to expand Tasmanian prescription monitoring system
Thea Cowie | 05 Oct 2018
The scope and uptake of Tasmania's real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) system should be expanded to better protect the community, the state's coroner has recommended.
Coroner Olivia McTaggart made the recommendations regarding Tasmania's webpage-based information system – the Drugs and Poisons Information System Online Remote Access (DORA) – following her investigation into the 2014 death of 44-year-old Michael Allan Steer.
She found that the cause of the ex-Navy submariner's death was mixed drug toxicity, with a post-mortem showing quetiapine in the toxic range, as well as codeine, diazepam, fluoxetine and paracetamol.
Many of these drugs are Schedule 4 drugs and are therefore not recorded via DORA. The Coroner recommended considering their inclusion in future.
Lots more here:
and lastly we have this:
Real time monitoring launches in Vic
Australia’s first comprehensive real-time monitoring system, SafeScript, is going live this week
Victoria’s Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, and clinicians from Ballarat Health Services announced Monday that the system would roll out from Tuesday, October 2, in the Western Victoria Primary Health Network.
PHNs across the rest of the state are expected to gain access to it next year.
SafeScript will monitor all Schedule 8 medicines such as morphine and oxycodone, which carry the highest risk of misuse, as well as other medicines of concern such as codeine and diazepam.
At the launch, Ms Hennessy highlighted the fact that deaths caused by prescription medicine misuse have outnumbered the road toll in Victoria for the past six years.
In 2017, 414 Victorians died as a result of prescription medicine overdoses.
“Too many Victorians have died from the misuse of prescription medicines,” Ms Hennessy said.
“We’ve listened to the experts, who say this is the most effective way of arresting the scourge of prescription medication overdoses.
“We promised the most comprehensive and cutting-edge real-time prescription monitoring system in Australia and that’s exactly what we’re rolling out.”
Lots more here:
So it seems DORA needs to cover a more meds as they get going in Victoria.
All seems good for now. Where is NSW up to I wonder?
David.
2 comments:
"At the launch, Ms Hennessy highlighted the fact that deaths caused by prescription medicine misuse have outnumbered the road toll in Victoria for the past six years.
In 2017, 414 Victorians died as a result of prescription medicine overdoses."
It's nice to know they have studied all the evidence and decided that misuse of prescription medicine (something people do to themselves) has a higher priority than domestic violence - something bad people do to others.
Maybe the evidence for domestic violence is too hard to come by. Oh look:
http://www.domesticviolence.com.au/pages/domestic-violence-statistics.php
The last bullet point:
"The combined health, administration and social welfare costs of violence against women have been estimated to be $21.7 billion a year, with projections suggesting that if no further action is taken to prevent violence against women, costs will accumulate to $323.4 billion over a thirty-year period from 2014-15 to 2044-45."
Price Waterhouse Coopers (2015) ‘A high price to pay: the economic case for preventing violence against women’, report prepared for Our Watch and the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth).
Even the wildly exaggerated Booz report relied upon by the Royle review only predicted a benefit (without costs) of $400million/year for the PCEHR.
And it's been suggested that My Health Record could assist some abusers track down their victims.
The world has gone mad. Facts, evidence and experts just don't matter.
Bernard, a bit more evidence of the tragedy that is domestic violence and which could have benefited from $2billion over the past 6 years.
https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/we-despair-10-women-murdered-in-22-days/
Australia's Health Minister's have been more interested in cutting costs than genuinely helping people get more healthy.
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