The system, known as SafeScript, is designed to address prescription drug deaths by giving doctors, nurses and pharmacists access to up-to-the minute information on patients’ prescription histories.

SafeScript is due to roll out in western Victoria later this year, and will expand to the rest of the state in 2019.

An expert advisory group initially recommended codeine be added to the program after it was introduced.

However the state government this week announced the drug would be included on the list of medicines to be monitored from the time SafeScript goes live.

Statistics show codeine has been a factor in more overdose deaths in Victoria than any other opioid painkiller in the past eight years.

Horsham Priceline Pharmacy pharmacist and part-owner Cobie McQueen said adding the opioid drug to the system was a good move.

“People can certainly become dependent upon it, so adding it to the register is going to be beneficial to the health of the community,” she said.

“The system will cover most of the drugs that people can become dependent on. However one other drug I would like to see added is Pregabalin, which has the brand name Lyrica. It is commonly used for nerve pain.”

Stawell Regional Health pharmacist Zoe Rule said codeine was classed as a medication needing monitoring more broadly, particularly for regional areas. 

She backed the government’s decision to add it to SafeScript from when the system starts.

“The use of opioids are an issue in regional areas, and the issue is growing,” she said. 

Ms Rule said she believed opioids were a bigger issue in regional communities because residents in these areas tended to do more physical work.

“Farmers do very physical work and they may be prescribed opioid-based pain killers such as codeine for injuries,” she said.

“That’s not to say they are the cause, it’s that there is a correlation.

“Pain medication also tends to be over-prescribed.”

Ms Rule said SafeScript provided scope to include high-risk medication, including opioid medication.

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