Recognising the true costs of realtime prescription monitoring

VCOSS Submission to the Realtime Prescription Monitoring Regulatory Impact Statement

The harm from misuse of pharmaceutical medicines is significant.

More than 370 Victorians died from overdose of pharmaceutical medicines in 2016, up from 295 in 2009. Since 2012 the number of deaths involving pharmaceutical medicines each year has surpassed the road toll.

VCOSS has long supported the implementation of a real-time prescription monitoring system to help stop people misusing pharmaceutical medicines and help identify problematic prescribing.

However, VCOSS is concerned that the Regulatory Impact Statement regarding prescription monitoring) fails to take into account the true costs to the broader service system, including the alcohol and drug treatment sector.