QScript and legislative requirements

QScript was established and operates under provisions of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 and Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021.

The Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021:

• specifies the Schedule 4 and Schedule 8 medicines, known as monitored medicines, captured by QScript
• specifies the health practitioners required to check QScript before prescribing, dispensing or giving a treatment dose of a monitored medicine for a patient
• specifies the circumstances in which a relevant practitioner is not legislatively required to check QScript
• requires dispensers (other than dispensers practicing in public sector hospitals) to upload monitored medicine dispensing records to QScript.

Read more information about the medicines, poisons and pest management framework.

Monitored medicines have a recognised therapeutic use but may also present a high risk of physical, mental and social harms. It is Queensland Health’s responsibility to regulate access to and encourage the safe use of monitored medicines.

Requirement to check QScript

‘Relevant practitioners’ practising in Queensland—medical practitioners, pharmacists, intern pharmacists, nurse practitioners, endorsed midwives, dentists, podiatric surgeons and endorsed podiatrists—must check QScript for patient records before the following dealings (unless an exemption applies or the practitioner has a reasonable excuse):

• prescribing a monitored medicine for a patient
• dispensing a monitored medicine for a patient
• giving a treatment dose of a monitored medicine for a patient.

If a relevant practitioner is using QScript-integrated clinical software and a red notification or amber notification is displayed, they must view the patient's QScript record to meet the legislative requirement to check QScript (unless an exemption applies or the practitioner has a reasonable excuse).

Green notifications mean no matching patient record has been found in QScript and no alerts have been triggered by the proposed prescribe/dispense event. Green notifications contain a link that directs users to the patient search screen in case the user would like to manually search for a patient record (although there is no legal requirement to do this).

If a relevant practitioner is unable to check QScript when required (e.g. internet issues), they should:

• make a clinical judgement about appropriate treatment based on the information available to them
• document that they were unable to use QScript and the reason why.

The decision on whether to prescribe or supply a monitored medicine for a patient remains with the relevant practitioner at all times, regardless of whether they have been able to access QScript.

View the Checking QScript guide (PDF 397 kB) for responses to frequently asked questions about the requirement to check QScript.

Requirement to upload monitored medicine dispensing records to QScript

Under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019, all health practitioners dispensing monitored medicines (other than those practising in public sector hospitals) must make their monitored medicine dispensing records in dispensing software connected to a prescription delivery service (PDS) to ensure these records are uploaded into QScript in real time. This requirement applies to all monitored medicine dispensing records, including (but not limited to) dispensing records for:

• Schedule 8 medicinal cannabis
• Queensland Opioid Treatment Program medicines.

Currently, there is no requirement for prescribers to upload prescription information to QScript when prescribing a monitored medicine. If a prescriber uses PDS-integrated software when prescribing a monitored medicine, a record of that prescription should flow through to QScript in real time, but there is no legislative requirement for this.

Regulating QScript use

Queensland Health is committed to a risk-based, education-first approach to monitoring and enforcement of medicines offences under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 and the Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021.

Queensland Health’s focus in relation to QScript and practitioners’ regulatory obligations is on providing advice and education regarding the legislation and engaging and supporting relevant practitioners to check QScript when required.

The compliance monitoring and enforcement strategy in relation to QScript look-up requirements focuses on guidance through education and warning letters before more directed compliance/other regulatory action is considered.

Regulatory action will be directed toward people who repeatedly and over time do not engage and/or refuse to access the system in breach of their legislative obligations.

Visit Compliance monitoring and enforcement of medicines offences for links to information about Queensland Health’s regulatory framework for medicines offences, and further details of Queensland Health’s strategy to promote and support compliance with the requirement for relevant practitioners to check QScript.