Every two minutes an Australian is hospitalised because of prescription medicines. 

Prescription medicines are available to prevent, manage, treat and cure disease, but statistics show that certain prescription medicines are commonly a cause of considerable physical, mental and social harms. Deaths and harm caused by prescription medicines are significant public health issues.

There is a growing challenge to increase awareness about the potential risks of prescription medicines and to implement mechanisms that promote the quality use of medicines while minimising harm. Reducing prescription medicine-related harm is multifaceted and requires both system-level and individual-level action to succeed.

The Queensland Government has implemented QScript as one component of the system-level changes occurring in Queensland to improve the safe and quality use of some prescription medicines, referred to monitored medicines.

QScript is a read-only prescription-monitoring system that is intended to help health practitioners identify high-risk clinical situations and help them manage their patients. The aim of QScript is to reduce intentional and unintentional harm caused by monitored medicines.  

AMA Queensland recognises the important role that QScript is intended to play in minimising harm from dangerous medicines and we are aware the program has already helped many patients avoid harm.