Privacy Collection Notice for Health Practitioners
About QScript
QScript is Queensland’s monitored medicines database which records real-time information about the prescription and supply of certain prescription medicines (monitored medicines) which may present risks of patient harm as a result of substance use disorder, misuse and/or overdose. The prescription and dispensing data included in QScript is collected automatically by Queensland Health from Prescription Exchange Services (PESs) whenever a health practitioner prescribes or dispenses a monitored medicine using PES-connected clinical software. Information is also collected from admission and discharge forms given under the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program (QOTP) and other relevant sources.
QScript data is kept by Queensland Health in accordance with the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (Qld) (MPA) for the following purposes:
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to promote safe practices for the therapeutic use of monitored medicines and reduce community harm caused by monitored medicines;
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to ensure particular health practitioners are complying with the MPA, a corresponding law or any applicable requirements under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law;
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to facilitate the assessment or investigation of health service complaints under the Health Ombudsman Act 2013 (Qld); and the investigation or monitoring of persons subject to actions or orders under that Act;
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to enable particular health practitioners to access the database to record and review information for the therapeutic treatment of persons;
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to facilitate evaluation and research into monitored medicines;
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to facilitate national consistency in the therapeutic use of monitored medicines;
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to manage the operation of the database;
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to exercise a power, or perform another function, under the MPA in relation to a monitored medicine; and
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any other purposes prescribed by the Regulations made under the MPA.
Registering to access QScript
Prescribers and dispensers are able to access QScript only if they are registered in the system.
As part of the registration process for QScript, Queensland Health collects certain personal information from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and you, including:
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name
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date of birth
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gender
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Ahpra registration number
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the suburb, state/territory and postcode of your principal place of practice (as recorded by Ahpra)
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profession (and specialty, if relevant), as recorded by Ahpra
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qualifications
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prescriber number (if relevant)
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email address (this needs to be an email address that only you have access to)
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phone number.
Queensland Health is required to collect some of this information under the MPA.
We use this information to verify your identity against the records held by Ahpra and record your registration in the system. Following verification of your identity, your date of birth will not be stored in QScript.
You will be asked to nominate a username and unique password. You must keep this information secret and only access QScript for a permitted purpose.
The contact details you provide on registration will not be made publicly available by QScript and will only be used by Queensland Health:
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to communicate necessary correspondence e.g. password reset requests and important updates regarding QScript which you need to know
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to manage the operation of the database
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to exercise a power, or perform a function, under the MPA relating to monitored medicines.
Failure to provide the information necessary for registration will mean that you will be unable to access QScript. Subject to certain exceptions, if you do not check QScript before prescribing, dispensing or giving a treatment dose of, a monitored medicine, you will breach the MPA.
What other information is being collected about health practitioners and how will the information be used?
During its establishment phase QScript collected information from Ahpra about all health practitioners who are authorised to prescribe or dispense monitored medicines in Queensland. This information is used to create a practitioner profile against which Department users can store information relating to enquiries, approvals, QOTP episodes, reviews and correspondence. This information is collected whether or not you register with QScript.
QScript also collects certain personal information about health practitioners prescribing or dispensing monitored medicines. This is because the following information, which may be required to be included on a prescription or dispensing record, is automatically collected by Queensland Health from PESs:
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patient details
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monitored medicines that are prescribed or supplied (including details of prescription and supply)
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details of the prescriber (including name or unique identifier (e.g. Individual Healthcare Identifier), the place where they usually practice, phone number, and qualifications)
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details of the dispenser (including name and where the medicine was dispensed).
QScript also collects admission and discharge information about patients and their health practitioners where that information is required to be provided as part of the QOTP.
QScript may collect information when Queensland Health communicates with a health practitioner by telephone, fax, email or letter about matters concerning monitored medicines.
QScript logs the use of the system by registered users, including the details of the records accessed, even if there is no prescribing or dispensing activity undertaken. Queensland Health will audit this data periodically.
Queensland Health is required to collect some of this information under the MPA.
Who will Queensland Health disclose information about health practitioners to?
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QScript provides certain users (including eligible prescribers and dispensers) access to view records for prescribed purposes. This includes access to information where a health practitioner is providing therapeutic treatment to a person to whom the information relates and the disclosure is reasonably necessary for the therapeutic treatment of that person. Users will be able to see which other practitioner(s) have viewed a patient record, even if the practitioner did not prescribe or dispense a monitored medicine. This is intended to support safer clinical decision-making, and facilitate the co-ordination of treatment and communication between prescribers and dispensers by giving visibility of the health practitioners involved in a patient’s care.
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Authorised Queensland Health officers and specific Queensland and Commonwealth Government regulatory bodies will also be able to access QScript as part of their existing regulatory role in ensuring the safe supply of medicines within the community.
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Personal information within QScript may also be accessed by ICT service providers for the purpose of ICT support, as well as to validate new users and remove old users from QScript.
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Researchers may be approved by the Chief Executive to access data for a specific purpose. Any data provided to researchers will align with relevant Queensland Health requirements for data release.
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It is intended that QScript will form part of a national real-time prescription monitoring scheme under which information will be shared with, and collected from, prescribers, dispensers and regulators in other States and Territories. Information in the national scheme may be accessed by ICT service providers, including ICT personnel located outside of Australia.
Is my privacy protected?
There are specific legislative requirements in place to ensure that people who are authorised to access information in QScript are doing so in an appropriate manner.
There are offences and strict penalties for inappropriate use or disclosure of information contained in QScript. Unauthorised use of QScript is a criminal offence (Section 408E of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld)).
Personal information collected by Queensland Health is handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld).
Can I access or amend my personal information in QScript?
Queensland Health supports your right to see the personal information we hold about you. To find out how to access your own personal information, please view our Privacy Policy at:
Amending prescription records in QScript
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Records detailing what prescriptions for monitored medicines have been produced, and dispensing details of prescriptions for monitored medicines, are collected from PESs. QScript uploads the monitored medicine prescription information that it receives without amendment.
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If you believe there is an error in a prescription record contained in QScript, the record can be corrected by amending the details in the source clinical software system (prescribing or dispensing software) by contacting the relevant prescriber or dispenser. The corrected information should then automatically update in QScript.
Amending other information in QScript
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Other information, such as prescribing approval and QOTP admission and discharge information, may also be displayed in QScript.
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If you believe there is an error in the information contained in QScript other than a prescription record, please contact us at: [email protected]
How can I find out more information?
For information about how Queensland Health protects your personal information, or to learn about your right to access your own personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
For further information about QScript visit: www.health.qld.gov.au/qscript or contact us at: [email protected]
Version 2.0 – Effective from 20 July 2023