Working with ScriptCheckWA

Using ScriptCheckWA via integrated clinical software

Details of how to set up various prescribing and dispensing software products, to integrate with ScriptCheckWA, are available at Accessing ScriptCheckWA via clinical software (PDF 237KB).

Prescribers and pharmacists who have registered for ScriptCheckWA and are using fully integrated clinical or dispensing software, will receive a pop-up notification on their desktop, warning them when an alert is triggered in ScriptCheckWA. An alert is triggered when a high or medium-risk clinical scenario exists for their patient, based on information in ScriptCheckWA.

Prescribers and pharmacists can click on the pop-up notification to access the detailed information about their patient in ScriptCheckWA.

The data in ScriptCheckWA cannot be directly included in clinical or dispensing software because access to the information in ScriptCheckWA is restricted to registered health practitioners who are prescribing or dispensing monitored medicines for their patient.

Contact your software provider to check if you need to change a setting to receive notifications.

Using ScriptCheckWA via partially integrated software

For clinical software that is not fully integrated with ScriptCheckWA, there is a desktop application available which will create a pop-up notification when an alert is triggered in ScriptCheckWA.

The RTPM notification app can be downloaded from the ScriptCheckWA online portal.

Using ScriptCheckWA directly, via the online portal

Prescribers and pharmacists who are not using integrated or partially integrated clinical or dispensing software will need to access ScriptCheckWA via the secure online portal.

It is recommended to create a bookmark or shortcut to https://hp.scriptcheck.health.wa.gov.au for easy access.

ScriptCheckWA is only accessible to registered prescribers and pharmacists. Registration is via the Self-Service Registration Portal

Alerts and notifications

What is a notification?

If an alert is triggered in ScriptCheckWA, a pop-up notification will display within clinical or dispensing software products that are integrated with ScriptCheckWA. The notifications feature is supported by the majority of clinical practice software products and pharmacy dispensing software products.

Red and amber pop-up notifications signal there is information to view in ScriptCheckWA, which should be reviewed and considered when making a decision to prescribe or dispense a monitored medicine.

Clinicians will also see green pop-up notifications, which confirm there is no information of significance available for their patient. These notifications will disappear from the screen without any action being required.

What is an alert?

Alerts exist within ScriptCheckWA and are triggered when certain risk criteria are met. Alerts will be red or amber, depending on the severity of the risk.

There are five categories of red alerts in ScriptCheckWA:

  1. Multiple prescribers: triggered when a patient has had monitored medicines prescribed by four or more prescribers over the previous 90 days.
  2. High-dose opioid: triggered when a patient is being prescribed more than 90 mg oral morphine equivalent per day (averaged over the previous 90 days)
  3. Patient flags, such as being recorded as a Drug Dependent Person.
  4. High-risk Schedule 8 medicines, such as injectable opioid medicines, alprazolam and flunitrazepam.
  5. High-risk medicine combinations: Opioids and S8 benzodiazepines being prescribed at the same time.

There are two categories of amber alerts in ScriptCheckWA:

  1. Medium-dose opioids: where a patient is being prescribed more than 50 mg oral morphine equivalent per day.
  2. Unauthorised prescriber, where a different prescriber is authorised to prescribe for the patient.

Both prescribers and pharmacists will be able to see the red and amber alerts and use the information in ScriptCheckWA to make a professional decision on the risk to the patient.

The ScriptCheckWA online learning modules include further detail about the wording and rationale for red and amber alerts. The modules are available on the NPS MedicineWise Learning platform, hosted by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).

Prescribing and dispensing monitored medicines

Choosing not to prescribe or dispense a monitored medicine

Abruptly ceasing or decreasing a patient’s treatment with a monitored medicine without appropriate ongoing support or treatment may cause serious patient harm.

When there is information about a patient in ScriptCheckWA, that meets certain high or medium-risk criteria, a pop-up notification will display within integrated clinical/dispensing software to indicate an alert has been triggered in ScriptCheckWA.

An alert does not mean a health practitioner is prevented from prescribing or dispensing a monitored medicine. An alert means a clinical risk has been identified and the health practitioner should review the information in ScriptCheckWA.

Each individual health practitioner has a responsibility to determine the clinical appropriateness of prescribing or dispensing a monitored medicine. The implementation of ScriptCheckWA does not change this responsibility. ScriptCheckWA provides timely and accessible information to health practitioners to support this responsibility.

The ScriptCheckWA online learning modules include training to assist with open and honest conversations between patients and health practitioners about monitored medicines. The modules also include information about referral pathways and where to access support for patients at risk of harm from monitored medicines.

Does ScriptCheckWA change the requirement for a Schedule 8 prescribing authorisation?

No. Prescribers must continue to comply with the requirements of the Medicines and Poisons Regulations 2016 (external link) and the Schedule 8 Medicines Prescribing Code.

However, information available about a patient in ScriptCheckWA may help a prescriber determine whether they require authorisation to prescribe a particular Schedule 8 product for their patient. For example, if a patient is recorded as a Drug Dependent Person, a prescribing authorisation will always be required.

Prescribing authorisations required under the Medicines and Poisons legislation are separate to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) authorities and are for a different purpose.

PBS authorities relate to whether supply of the medicinal product will be funded by the Australian Government. Prescribing authorisations under the Medicines and Poisons legislation are about ensuring safer prescribing where higher risk circumstances exist.

Is the Schedule 8 Medicines Prescriber Information Service still available?

Yes.

Telephone advice for prescribers about Schedule 8 medicines will remain available. Prescribers can call 9222 4424 to speak to a pharmacist. The service is available between 8:30 am and 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

What type of prescriptions will be visible in ScriptCheckWA?

Information about the prescribing and dispensing of a medicine will only be visible in ScriptCheckWA if the medicine has been designated as a ‘monitored medicine’. Further detail about which medicines are monitored is available at About ScriptCheckWA.

Prescribing and dispensing events will only be visible in ScriptCheckWA if the prescription is either written by a prescriber practising within Western Australia or dispensed at a pharmacy in Western Australia.

Will Community Program for Opioid Pharmacotherapy (CPOP) information be available in ScriptCheckWA?

Some CPOP information will be available in ScriptCheckWA.

If the CPOP prescription is generated electronically (computer generated paper prescription or fully electronic) or dispensed using clinical/dispensing software that is integrated with ScriptCheckWA, the CPOP prescription information will be automatically sent to ScriptCheckWA.

If the CPOP prescription is handwritten, it will only be visible in ScriptCheckWA if the prescription is dispensed at a community pharmacy using dispensing software that is integrated with ScriptCheckWA.

Prescribing authorisations for CPOP will also be visible via ScriptCheckWA.

Pharmacy dosing records for methadone and sublingual buprenorphine products will not be included in ScriptCheckWA. Similarly, records made when a buprenorphine long-acting injection is administered to a CPOP client will not be visible in ScriptCheckWA.

Will prescriptions written and dispensed in public hospitals be visible in ScriptCheckWA?

Prescriptions written in public hospitals will not be immediately visible within ScriptCheckWA, with the exception of hospitals trialling electronic prescribing software in outpatient clinics.

Dispensing software currently used in WA Health hospitals is not integrated with ScriptCheckWA. Software vendors are working towards integration with ScriptCheckWA.

When a prescription written by a public hospital/clinic prescriber is dispensed at a community pharmacy, the prescription will become visible in ScriptCheckWA.

Public hospital pharmacy departments are still required to send reports of the dispensing of Schedule 8 prescriptions to the Department of Health. This will include prescriptions dispensed by the public hospital pharmacy department for patients treated at outpatient clinics and patients being discharged from hospital. If required, prescribers can obtain this information by calling the Schedule 8 Medicines Prescriber Information Service (9222 4424, 8:30 am to 4:30 Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays).

Orders written on medication charts and records of monitored medicines administered to inpatients, including patients in emergency departments, are not included in ScriptCheckWA. As is the case currently, there is no requirement for this information to be routinely provided to the Department of Health.

Are private prescriptions included in ScriptCheckWA?

Yes, prescriptions for both Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) items and privately dispensed items are included in ScriptCheckWA.

This includes prescriptions that are eligible to be dispensed as a PBS item but where the patient chooses to have their prescription dispensed privately.

Will handwritten prescriptions be visible on ScriptCheckWA?

Handwritten prescriptions for monitored medicines will be visible in ScriptCheckWA once the prescription is dispensed at a community pharmacy.

Will prescriptions written and dispensed in another state or territory be visible in ScriptCheckWA?

No.  Unless the prescription has been either generated by a prescriber located in Western Australia or dispensed at a pharmacy located in Western Australia, it will not be visible in ScriptCheckWA.

Can staff who are not prescribers or pharmacists use ScriptCheckWA?

Only AHPRA registered prescribers and pharmacists can register for access to ScriptCheckWA. Registered users must not share login details with anyone else.

Can I ask another person to review my patient’s record on my behalf?

No.

The Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 (external site) only allows AHPRA (external site) registered prescribers and pharmacists, who are involved in the patient’s care, to access the information included in ScriptCheckWA.

Only a person responsible for making a decision about whether it is clinically and professionally appropriate to prescribe or dispense a monitored medicine is legally allowed to access ScriptCheckWA.

This means other staff such as practice managers, practice nurses, pharmacy assistants or dispensary technicians are not authorised to view information in ScriptCheckWA.

Every time a health practitioner views a patient record in ScriptCheckWA, the access event is automatically logged by the system. Access logs are unable to be changed or deleted.

The Department of Health will monitor access logs to ensure ScriptCheckWA is not being accessed or used inappropriately.

If pharmacy assistants and dispensary technicians are using dispensing software, will ScriptCheckWA still work?

If the pharmacy is using integrated dispensing software, pop-up notifications will be generated during the dispensing process. Pop-up notifications will be generated when both assistants/technicians and pharmacists are using the dispensing software.

In the pharmacy setting, only pharmacists are eligible to register for access to ScriptCheckWA. This means other pharmacy staff will not be able to log in to ScriptCheckWA to view a patient’s record, including when a notification is triggered.

Red and amber pop-up notifications mean an alert has been triggered in ScriptCheckWA and a pharmacist should view the patient’s record in ScriptCheckWA to decide whether it is safe and appropriate to dispense the prescription.

Pharmacists must not share their login details for ScriptCheckWA with anyone else, including pharmacy assistants and dispensary technicians.

Do I need my patient’s consent to access records about them in ScriptCheckWA?

No.

The Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 (external site) authorises AHPRA (external site) registered prescribers and pharmacists, who are involved in the patient’s care, to access the information included in ScriptCheckWA. Access must be for the purpose of deciding if it is safe and appropriate to prescribe or dispense a monitored medicine for that patient.

Can I access ScriptCheckWA if I work in other states or territories?

ScriptCheckWA will only include prescriptions that have been prescribed and/or dispensed in Western Australia.

Prescribers who are physically located in another state or territory but routinely provide telehealth services to Western Australian residents can choose to register to use ScriptCheckWA.

Alternatively, interstate prescribers can call the Schedule 8 Medicines Prescriber Information Service on 08 9222 4424 (8:30 am to 4:30 pm WST, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays) if they are treating a patient located in Western Australia or a patient who normally lives in Western Australia.

How can I correct a record in ScriptCheckWA if I believe it is incorrect?

Information about prescriptions and dispensing events in ScriptCheckWA is sourced from integrated clinical and pharmacy software. ScriptCheckWA does not make any changes to this data.

As the information will need to be amended in the source system, the relevant practice or pharmacy should be contacted. When the information is corrected in the clinical or pharmacy software, the amendment will be automatically updated in ScriptCheckWA.

If other information in ScriptCheckWA appears incorrect, such as a Schedule 8 prescribing authorisation, please contact the Medicines and Poisons Regulation Branch on 9222 6883.

Duplicate profiles may occur when a patient’s details, such as name, date of birth, Medicare number or Individual Health Identifier (IHI), are entered differently by different prescribers and pharmacists. If you identify multiple profiles for the same patient, please contact the Medicines and Poisons Regulation Branch on 9222 6883 so the records can be merged.

ScriptCheckWA technical support

Support relating to the ScriptCheckWA system

For information and technical support relating to ScriptCheckWA (for example, registration) phone 1800 776 633 (0800 to 1800 WST) or email wartpm@fred.com.au.

Support relating to integrated clinical software

For information and technical support relating to integrated clinical or dispensing software (such as enabling pop-up notifications or updating software to the latest version) contact your software provider.

More information

Medicines and Poisons Regulation Branch
Mailing address: PO Box 8172, Perth Business Centre, WA 6849
Phone: 9222 6883
Email: MPRB@health.wa.gov.au