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The Australian government is establishing a National Medicines Record that will make accurate and up-to-date medicines information consistently available in one place.
WHY IT MATTERS
A spokesperson from the Therapeutic Goods Administration told Healthcare IT News that while existing digital health infrastructure, such as electronic prescribing, the Active Script List, and My Health Record, already support medicines management, "important information that provides clinical context for prescribing is not consistently available in one safe and secure location."
Healthcare providers, the spokesperson said, often need to search in different locations for information, such as the history of medicines prescribed and dispensed, diagnoses, or allergies.
Existing medicine record systems may not be up-to-date due to factors, such as whether an electronic or handwritten prescription was issued, or due to decisions about the use of these digital tools.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is currently consulting with relevant stakeholders on the design of the National Medicines Record, for which the government has initially set aside A$4.4 million ($3.1 million).
According to the TGA spokesperson, the consultation will also consider options to support prescribers in reviewing a person's health information before prescribing medicines, such as alert and notification capabilities.
THE LARGER CONTEXT
The design and development of the National Medicines Record is part of reforms to beef up safety in digital medicines and telehealth. The government will soon require online prescribers to make medicines-related information available by default via My Health Record, with the first phase of that work expected to be completed by December. This will include medicines prescribed and dispensed through online platforms, including the clinical context for prescribing.
Additionally, the 1800Medicare app, where users can also access key health information, will be enhanced to improve medication management.
ON THE RECORD
"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," said Health Minister Mark Butler in a statement.
"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."
