ScriptCheckSA: updated

March 19, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

UPDATE: Register HERE!

A generation ago (February 2019), I wrote about SafeScripts. From my post then:

We’ve written before about how PartridgeGP prefers safer and better options to opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing. These medications do serve a purpose at some times in some patients and so we must be safe.

Victoria has an amazing system – SafeScripts. Let’s get it here in South Australia!

SafeScript is computer software that allows prescription records for certain high-risk medicines to be transmitted in real-time to a centralised database which can then be accessed by doctors (or nurse practitioners) and pharmacists during a consultation with a patient. The records will be obtained automatically via an electronic transfer of prescriptions through a Prescription Exchange Service (PES) when a prescription is issued or dispensed at a medical clinic or pharmacy. No data entry will be required. SafeScript will enable doctors and pharmacists to make safer clinical decisions and identify circumstances where patients may be receiving high-risk medicines beyond medical need.

After 2+ years, this is coming to South Australia! From the latest AMA release:

From Monday 15 March 2021, registration emails will be sent to all eligible prescribers and pharmacists inviting them to register for ScriptCheckSA. If you have not received an email by COB Friday 19 March 2021, you can register via the secure Registration Portal.

More information about how to register is available on the Registering for ScriptCheckSA fact sheet (PDF 292KB).

Free online training and resources to support the use of ScriptCheckSA will be available from Monday 22 March 2021 on this page.

Access to ScriptCheckSA will be available at the end of March 2021.

ScriptCheckSA is the name of South Australia’s real time prescription monitoring computer system. ScriptCheckSA provides prescribers and pharmacists with real-time information about a patient’s use of monitored drugs when they are considering prescribing or dispensing these drugs, to ensure safer clinical decisions.

Read all about it – here

and here

Prescription drug dependence, misuse and diversion are increasing concerns both in Australia and internationally – with associated overdose and accidental death continuing to rise in Australia.

Monitored drugs include pain medications such as oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl, some medications used to manage anxiety, narcolepsy or ADHD including dexamfetamine, methylphenidate and alprazolam.

This is an awesome initiative – safer and better for patients and GPs. ScriptCheckSA will not stop a patient from obtaining their regular medicines where their doctor has identified a legitimate clinical need. It’s great to see that things are happening in government and medicine that aren’t COVID related – the world is still turning. Of course, COVID vaccinations are coming – and coming to PartridgeGP – so check your email, phones, and our socials for how this will roll out!

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions, and we won’t back away from being your companion, guide, advisor, and sounding board through your health journey. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now with new vaccines here to END the pandemic. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Better, for you.

Want more?

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

For everyone, we believe that having a usual GP or General Practice is central to each person’s care and recommend that people with any health issues that come to the attention of other health professionals should be advised to attend their usual GP or General Practice rather than a specialised service (ie a place not providing the holistic care a specialist GP would). If they say that they don’t have a usual GP or general practice, they should be helped to find one and to actually attend it. Call PartridgeGP on 82953200 or make an appointment online here.

(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

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If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

If you are a great GP or a great Allied Health Professional, and you want to serve your clients or patients to the best of your ability, without worrying about all the non clinical things that get in your way, lets talk. Call Mrs Hayley Roberts on 8295 3200 and have a coffee and chat with us as to how PartridgeGP can help you to help others.

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Fewer Opioids More Options PartridgeGP Movement Theory

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in PartridgeGP

Did you know that here have been some big changes with the pack sizes of immediate release opioids/narcotics under the PBS as of June 1?

Me neither!

What does this mean in English? It means that doctors will be unable to prescribe large packs of addictive medication without ringing the government and asking for permission (with good reason!).

Why?

Some good information can be found here

But to summarise:

The drugs work in the short term – but they don’t keep working
We have better and safer options
These drugs kill people

These changes haven’t been well publicised…but here they are:

And:

Patients who require long-term treatment of chronic pain with opioids will still be able to access larger pack sizes and prescribers will be able to prescribe repeats where they meet the new restrictions requirements.

For chronic pain, increased quantities and/or repeats may be authorised by Services Australia where the patient meets the restriction requirements. Increased quantities to extend treatment up to one month may be requested via telephone/electronic authority request, and up to 3 months’ supply (up to 1-month quantity and up to 2 repeats) may be requested via an electronic/written authority request.

To be eligible for treatment with high strength opioids such as morphine, patients will need to be unresponsive or intolerant, or have achieved inadequate relief of their acute pain, following maximum tolerated doses of other lower strength opioid treatments.

These new arrangements apply to all PBS listings for opioid medications and therefore there will also be amendments to the tramadol and paracetamol/codeine restriction requirements.

All new and amended restrictions will be updated on the PBS website (pbs.gov.au) from
1 June 2020.

What does this change mean for prescribers?

The new opioid listings for reduced pack sizes will provide a simplified way for prescribers to prescribe smaller quantities of immediate release opioids for acute, short-term treatment.

Prescribers must ensure that patients meet the relevant restriction criteria when prescribing opioids under Restricted Benefit and Authority Required (STREAMLINED) PBS listings. The ‘streamlined authority code’ is located on the relevant PBS listing on the PBS website. To prescribe an Authority Required (Telephone/Electronic) item, the prescriber is required to request authority approval from Services Australia through the Online PBS Authorities System or by calling 1800 888 333.

To ensure appropriate use of opioid medicines for the management of pain, patients must be referred to a pain specialist or alternative prescriber for clinical review if opioid use exceeds or is expected to exceed 12 months. The date of the review and name of the medical practitioner consulted must be provided for every authority application.

low angle photography of a road — Moving Forward

So from June 1:

If these addictive narcotic medications are required, your GP may prescribe smaller packs for your use
Please please please speak to your GP about any issues you are having – we have lots of options including counselling, physical therapy, diversional therapy, physiotherapy, non-drug therapy, other medications, and referrals to non-GP specialists for complex problems
We still care, we still want to help, we want to be safer and better for you
If you are on medications for 12 months or more, you will need to have a formal consult with another GP or specialist in addition to your usual GP to keep getting medication on a PBS (subsidised) prescription.

We are here to help you

PartridgeGP

Bookings

If you would like to work with us, call Dr Nick on 8295 3200 or click here

Movement Theory

Bookings

Are Medically Prescribed Opioids Killing Australians?

August 14, 2018August 13, 2018 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in #justagp, Glenelg, GP, Narcotics, New doctor, News, Partridge Street General Practice

In 1996 Oxycontin a drug more powerful than Heroin hit the medical marketplace. It was touted as the cure for any pain, without addiction and without risk. Drug Companies have made many millions from this drug, at the cost of many deaths.

In 2018 we face an evolving crisis following America down a slippery slope, that will cost us our relatives, parents, sons, and daughters if we don’t change.

Partridge Street General Practice is proud to be a low prescriber of opioids, narcotics, and other medications that have NOT been shown to be effective and safe. We will be happy to discuss better options with you right here.

Plastic Pain…and a bit of stimulation!

February 8, 2015January 10, 2018 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in #justagp, Comprehensive, Empowering, Exercise, Female, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Medical, Men, Men's health, Natural, News, Partridge Street General Practice, prevention, Professional, Self help, Training, Winter

2018 is here and what have You done? What are You going to do?

Partridge Street General Practice is moving forward with Our Ethos of Professional, Empowering, Comprehensive care from Great GPs!

Dr Katherine Astill Partridge Street General Practice new female registrar — Dr Katherine Astill

We are known for not prescribing lots of narcotics. (Not a lot of benzodiazepines either, but that’s another post!). Why is that?

Have a look here…

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Firstly, narcotics work differently for acute and chronic pain. Evidence shows that narcotics are effective for short term relief of acute pain after surgery or in an emergency situation, like a broken leg. As time goes on and the acute injury (the break or the surgical procedure) heals or finishes, the side effects of the narcotics increase. Itching and constipation occur, and tolerance leads to a decrease in pain relief. This is chronic pain where opioids are ineffective. Your body produces its own pain relieving chemicals in response to pain or adversity. When you take narcotics or other painkillers, the body STOPS doing this. If you then stop the tablets, the body has to catch up again. This is painful and uncomfortable – We Can Help With That! (without more narcotics…)

There are better alternative options. We empower our patients in regard to managing their chronic pain. That’s the Partridge Street General Practice way!

Acute pain alerts us to injury or disease by sending a signal to the brain, saying “This is where you are hurt – attend to it”. Chronic pain is the afterlife of this acute pain, when the initial pain has affected the bodily tissues and the neurons in our pain system with false alarms, making us believe the problem is in our body when it is mostly in our brain.

This evocative description comes from Dr Norman Doidge‘s book ‘The Brain’s Way of Healing’. He describes a scientific theory of neuroplasticity, whereby the brain’s structure and function can be changed without medication, achieving long lasting positive changes.