wilkometre
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 1
Got a letter from Medicare today (Australia) saying that I had met criteria for engaging in prescription shopping. To add salt to the wound they listed all 12 doctors id seen in the laat three months and the total number of benzodiazepines id been prescribed.
quote "A medical practitioner you habe recently visited raised concerns and has contacted the Prescription Shopping Hotline, resulting in an analysis of the practitioners visited by yourself over the last three months and the number of prescriptions that were filled. This impacts the integrity of Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme and as such you are now required to consent to having Schedule 4 (Prescription Only) medication (benzodiazepene medication only) dispensed by one medical practitioner and one pharmacist of your choice.
If you attempt to obtain Schedule 4 medications (benzodiazepine medications only) through another practitioner, the prescription they attempt to write will be blocked by Medicare with the label 'detected person of interest with Medicare Prescription Shopping Authority', and similarly all other pharmacies you attend to fill Schedule 4 medications (benzodiazepenes only) will be unable to dispense the medication and will refer you to the approved pharmacist you choose on the form over the page. If you are drug dependent please contact the Drugs of Dependency Unit in Queensland so we can better assist with your condition.
Please be advised that your actions are illegal however have been cautioned in this instance. Current medications that are in your possession are recommended to be returned to a pharmacy for disposal, excepting a reasonable amount that you believe will be beneficial in treating your condition. Medicare believes in this instance that you have been honest in your intentions and may be attempting to obtain more than medically required in order to ensure you have a consistent supply.
While we understand this, it can be a highly costly practice and upon analysing the locations and number of times you were prescribed benzodiazepines by varying GPs, we also consider the financial implications this practice must have had on yourself and we must stress that this ceases immediately. Further insances or attempted instances of prescription shopping (for opioids, CNS depressants and Schedule 8 medicines) may result in prosecution and a seizure may take place by the Australian Federal Police.
The breaches you have committed are; 1. Obtaining prescriptions by more than six GPs in a three month period for PBS medication. (Benzodiazepine medicines) 2. Obtaining more than 25 target PBS items in a six month period. (Benzodiazepine medicines) 3. Presenting to more than 10 medical practices and/or 10 pharmacies to avoid doctor and pharmacy knowledge of other prescriptions and consultations made prior.
Medicare is issuing this as a first and final warning and a letter has been sent to all the practitioners you have visited to alert them as well in case you attempt to visit them again. You have been flagged as a 'person with drug seeking qualities (benzodiazepines)' with these practitioners as well as any other Queensland practitioners you visit in the future. They will be notified of this when they run your Medicare card details through their systems (all refistered general practices require the opening of a patients' Medicare details.
Overleaf please name one GP and one pharmacy of your choice to obtain Schedule 4 medications (benzodiazepines in this instance). Medicare will process this and inform the GP, the pharmacy and yourself. In the interim and even after the arrangement, you may still be prescribed Schedule 4 medications from any GP and dispense them at any pharmacy provided they are not benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine derivatives.
quote "A medical practitioner you habe recently visited raised concerns and has contacted the Prescription Shopping Hotline, resulting in an analysis of the practitioners visited by yourself over the last three months and the number of prescriptions that were filled. This impacts the integrity of Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme and as such you are now required to consent to having Schedule 4 (Prescription Only) medication (benzodiazepene medication only) dispensed by one medical practitioner and one pharmacist of your choice.
If you attempt to obtain Schedule 4 medications (benzodiazepine medications only) through another practitioner, the prescription they attempt to write will be blocked by Medicare with the label 'detected person of interest with Medicare Prescription Shopping Authority', and similarly all other pharmacies you attend to fill Schedule 4 medications (benzodiazepenes only) will be unable to dispense the medication and will refer you to the approved pharmacist you choose on the form over the page. If you are drug dependent please contact the Drugs of Dependency Unit in Queensland so we can better assist with your condition.
Please be advised that your actions are illegal however have been cautioned in this instance. Current medications that are in your possession are recommended to be returned to a pharmacy for disposal, excepting a reasonable amount that you believe will be beneficial in treating your condition. Medicare believes in this instance that you have been honest in your intentions and may be attempting to obtain more than medically required in order to ensure you have a consistent supply.
While we understand this, it can be a highly costly practice and upon analysing the locations and number of times you were prescribed benzodiazepines by varying GPs, we also consider the financial implications this practice must have had on yourself and we must stress that this ceases immediately. Further insances or attempted instances of prescription shopping (for opioids, CNS depressants and Schedule 8 medicines) may result in prosecution and a seizure may take place by the Australian Federal Police.
The breaches you have committed are; 1. Obtaining prescriptions by more than six GPs in a three month period for PBS medication. (Benzodiazepine medicines) 2. Obtaining more than 25 target PBS items in a six month period. (Benzodiazepine medicines) 3. Presenting to more than 10 medical practices and/or 10 pharmacies to avoid doctor and pharmacy knowledge of other prescriptions and consultations made prior.
Medicare is issuing this as a first and final warning and a letter has been sent to all the practitioners you have visited to alert them as well in case you attempt to visit them again. You have been flagged as a 'person with drug seeking qualities (benzodiazepines)' with these practitioners as well as any other Queensland practitioners you visit in the future. They will be notified of this when they run your Medicare card details through their systems (all refistered general practices require the opening of a patients' Medicare details.
Overleaf please name one GP and one pharmacy of your choice to obtain Schedule 4 medications (benzodiazepines in this instance). Medicare will process this and inform the GP, the pharmacy and yourself. In the interim and even after the arrangement, you may still be prescribed Schedule 4 medications from any GP and dispense them at any pharmacy provided they are not benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine derivatives.
