All medicines-related health information from online prescribers is set to be made available through My Health Record under new reforms.
The RACGP said the changes would make patients safer, reduce hospitalisations, and improve care across the health system.
The reforms would give patients, GPs, and other prescribers a complete picture of a patient’s medicines history and involve the creation of a National Medicines Record.
On January 28 Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced plans to ensure all medicines-related information from online prescribers be made available to consumers and their healthcare providers through their My Health Record.
The reforms also include the design and development of a National Medicines Record using existing digital health capabilities such as electronic prescribing, the Active Script List and My Health Record.
The announcement follows advocacy by Alison Collins on medications prescribed through multiple digital health platforms. Her 24-year-old daughter Erin died by overdose in August last year.
Erin was able to stockpile medications prescribed by multiple digital health platforms despite her My Health Record containing warning messages from hospital staff and her care team who had arranged for her to pick up a controlled dose of her medication from the local pharmacy each day.
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RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the government was taking a measured approach to reforms to ensure all telehealth providers were held to the same standards as GPs.
“Online and on-demand telehealth providers who aren’t connected to your usual general practice cannot see your medical history and may not inform other health professionals of what care or prescriptions they provide by adding to your history or your My Health Record,” he said.
“Telehealth providers have too often not informed a patients’ usual GP, healthcare team, or other telehealth services of the care they have provided or updated a patient’s My Health Record.
“This has led to some very bad patient outcomes. Tragically, those have included deaths.”
Dr Wright said communication between services was a cornerstone of patient safety.
“The best way to access care, telehealth or in-person, is with a GP who knows you and your medical history,” he said.
“If a telehealth service provides a prescription and there’s a risk due to your medical history, your GP knowing about it can save your life. Many medications should not be combined, you may have allergies that will lead to an adverse reaction, or you may have a complex condition that requires careful management.
“These changes also go beyond prescribing and will lead to records of dispensing. This means if I write a prescription for a patient, I know they are getting it filled, or if not, I can work with them to understand why.
“If well-implemented, GPs and other members of a care team having a clear and up-to-date view of patients’ medicines information through a National Medicines Record will make patients safer, reduce hospitalisations, and improve care across the health system.”
A rollout date for the National Medicines Record has not yet been provided. A consultation is underway, with the first phase expected to be completed by December 2026.
There have been a number of changes recently announced to the operation of My Health Record.
Late last year pathology reports such as blood and urine tests became available for consumers to view in their My Health Record immediately after they were updated, rather than patients having to wait a certain amount of days before being able to access that information.
As of March, consumers will be able to view X-ray reports for limbs in My Health Record immediately after they are uploaded, alongside other diagnostic imaging reports after a five-day delay, reduced from the previous seven-day delay.
From July, healthcare providers will be required to upload pathology and diagnostic imaging reports by default to My Health Record.
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