Transmission of a digital image of a paper prescription in an emergency - DPCS Regulations 2017 - consultation document
15 December 2022
The Victorian Department of Health has proposed to amend the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017 (DPCS Regulations) to allow prescribers to issue an emergency direction to a pharmacist to supply a Schedule 4, Schedule 8 or Schedule 9 poison (medicine) by transmitting a digital image of a paper prescription to serve as an instruction.
The amendment would provide a second mechanism, in addition to a verbal instruction, for a prescriber to issue an emergency instruction via a digital image of the paper prescription to a pharmacist when that prescriber is of the opinion an emergency exists.
The DPCS Regulations currently allow prescribers to issue verbal instructions to pharmacists in an emergency. If the prescriber issues a verbal instruction, they must follow up with written instructions confirming the verbal instructions. The amendment would clarify that the written instructions must be provided within 3 days of providing the verbal instruction.
The Department of Health has prepared a consultation document for the proposed amendment – Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017 (transmission of a digital image of a paper prescription in an emergency).
If you would like to contribute to AMA Victoria’s response to this proposal (of which we are supportive and have been consistently advocating for), please send your written feedback to Senior Policy Adviser, Lewis Horton, at LewisH@amavic.com.au by 11:59pm Sunday 18 December.
Further reading
- Communications and advocacy update: 2 June | AMA Victoria
- Communications and Advocacy update: 19 May | AMA Victoria
- Image-based prescribing arrangements to cease 31 March 2022 | AMA Victoria
