‘Prescribing cowboys’: Dangerous trend amid doctor crisis

Patients struggling to book a doctor’s appointment or find one who bulk-bills are turning to a dangerous trend that is compromising their safety, pharmacists warn.

Queenslanders are turning to online prescription services in droves in a dangerous trend sparked by the GP crisis.

The difficulty in getting an appointment with a doctor and finding one that bulk-bills is making patients look for easier options on the internet where there are “prescribing cowboys”.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch is calling for better patient safety and regulation of solely online prescribers and apps.

“The self-declared GP crisis means patient safety is being compromised as people flock to online apps and prescribers. There is no connectivity between these online apps and a patient’s regular GP and the patient’s current medications,” Queensland branch president Chris Owen said.

“The Pharmacy Guild supports telehealth as a good option for patients when they cannot physically present to their regular GP, however, the dilution to an online app with little or no contact with a health­care professional is compromising patient safety. The regulators have to stop these online prescribing cowboys,” he said.

Pharmacist James Lester. Photo: Supplied

Mooloolaba pharmacist James Lester said he came across an online script from a doctor not on the Sunshine Coast requesting a dangerous quantity of a drug for an individual. He said the drug on the script was often used to manufacture illicit drugs for sale.

“Clearly, given the quantity requested, the intention was misuse and possibly trafficking in illegal drugs. When I checked the validity of the script, I struggled to find an ­immediate contact for the prescribing doctor to flag my concerns over the potential misuse of such a large quantity of a medicine with a significant street value,” Mr Lester said.

“While there is some convenience for patients who use an app or online prescribers, the risk of doctor shopping and finding an online cowboy is increasing,” he said.

Queensland chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Bruce Willett said one solution was to allow doctors to give regular patients a year long supply of their medications.