Government wages war on painkiller abuse

A system pioneered in Tasmania is being expanded Australia-wide in a bid to combat prescription painkiller abuse.

The federal government is licensing the Electronic Recording and Reporting of Controlled Drugs system from the Tasmanian government, and rolling it out to health professionals at a cost of $5 million.

Clinicians and other health professionals who prescribe prescription painkillers, such as oxycodone, morphine and codeine, will be able to log into a central database containing prescription records.

The system will flag, in real time, patients who have repeatedly sought controlled drugs. Doctors and pharmacists can then make a decision on whether it is clinically appropriate to dispense the controlled substance.

The system is due to come online in July of this year.