ADHA tables $49m for real-time prescription monitoring system

The Australian Digital Health Agency has earmarked almost $50 million to support the national prescription-tracking system.

The agency recently took over responsibility from the Department of Health and Aged Care for the national data exchange, which is used to power the government’s real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) system.

It allows the transfer of prescription information between states and territories and forms part of an effort to prevent the misuse of certain substances.

ADHA has now appointed pharmacy IT solutions provider Fred IT, the provider of the federal government’s eRx Script Exchange, to manage the national data exchange.

Fred IT was awarded the $49.5-million, three-year contract in part due to "an absence of competition for technical reasons”.

A spokesperson for ADHA told iTnews that the data exchange must have “very high system availability, maintaining a quality assurance process in line with industry standards” while being able to “expand the capability of real-time prescription monitoring to be introduced over time”.

The RTPM system was first introduced in 2017 to limit misuse of prescription-only medicines that contain morphine, oxycodone, dexamphetamine and alprazolam and to prevent "prescription shopping".

According to ADHA, the system alerts pharmacists and doctors in real-time via their clinical software or a portal about a patient’s history and use of controlled substances "when they are considering prescribing or dispensing these medicines".

The federal government, and state and territory agencies, are currently implementing the RTPM system, although states still are responsible for the management of controlled medicines in their jurisdictions.