For the first time, patients, prescribers and pharmacists will be able to have a complete picture of a patient's medicines history under sweeping reforms to improve standards of care, being introduced by the Australian Government.
The changes follow advocacy by mum, Alison Collins, whose 24 year-old daughter Erin tragically died by overdose in August last year, on medications prescribed through multiple digital health platforms.
As a first step to strengthen safety in digital medicines and telehealth, the Australian Government will implement requirements to ensure all medicines-related information from online prescribers is made available to consumers and their healthcare providers through My Health Record.
This will include medicines prescribed and dispensed through online platforms, including the clinical context for prescribing, to help avoid harm to patients due to medication errors, adverse drug reactions or inappropriate use.
Reforms will also include the design and development of a National Medicines Record using existing digital health capabilities like electronic prescribing, the Active Script List and My Health Record. This work will support prescribers and pharmacists with accurate and up-to-date medicines information on their patients.
The 1800Medicare app will continue to be enhanced to improve medication management.
A consultation period is underway to enable this and to include medicines information from all online prescribers by default, with the first phase of that work to be completed, by December 2026.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"These reforms are the first step toward delivering a National Medicines Record for all Australians, ensuring that patients and their care teams can have accurate and up-to-date medicine information.
"Ms Collins bravery and advocacy while enduring the tragic loss of her daughter Erin, will have a profound impact on the safety of online prescribing practices in Australia.
"Ensuring this information is accessible to a patient's usual GP and other healthcare providers will support safer clinical decision-making, reduce the risk of medicine-related harm and strengthen trust across the healthcare system."
Quotes attributable to Alison Collins:
"These new reforms give our family hope and peace of mind.
"Erin's story is creating change, so no other family has to go through what we did.
"We deeply appreciate Minister Butler's personal and swift responses on hearing Erin's story and his commitment to strengthening safeguards and clinical governance for telehealth services."
