This appeared last week:
Coroner questions chief pharmacist’s real-time monitoring optimism
He says former soldier would not have sourced drugs if a system was in place
22nd May 2019
A coroner has expressed frustration at ongoing delays in the provision of real-time monitoring and suggested that a young former soldier might not have died if WA had such a system.
During an inquest into the oxycodone toxicity death of the 24-year-old Afghanistan veteran, Coroner Barry King also scoffed at a suggestion by the state’s chief pharmacist that the state would soon have a system.
The inquest heard that the former soldier was given a “significant supply” of oxycodone after injuring his hip and ankle in Afghanistan.
After returning to Australia, he was diagnosed with PTSD and, after further treatment for his injuries, quickly developed an addiction to opioids and benzodiazepines.
He was able to obtain 27 prescriptions for oxycodone over 99 attendances with 24 doctors, sometimes producing an ADF medical report altered to remove reference to his dependence on opioids and benzodiazepines.
After being denied scripts by several GPs who became aware of his addiction, he eventually got one for oxycodone from a new GP who found he wasn’t displaying signs of intoxication or drug-seeking. He died two days later.
Mr King said the delay in implementing a state-based real-time monitoring system was “frustrating”.
He was not convinced by Chief Pharmacist Neil Keen’s evidence that he was hopeful a database would be operational by October 2019, with pharmacists and GPs able to use it on their computers in about two years.
Mr King noted the chief pharmacist had “thought the same thing” about seven years ago.
“Mr Keen’s evidence ... does not inspire a lot of confidence that a real-time system will be functioning this year.”
More here:
It seems Mr Keen is not a man of speedy action! Really hopeless I believe.
David.
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