Australia: active ingredient prescribing regulation to simplify healthcare
A new regulation in Australia will see doctors having to prescribe drugs by their chemical names – a move that could bring with it fewer medication errors and improved medical case management
The national legislation for active ingredient prescribing – the process in which doctors use the name of the drug rather than the brand name when prescribing and referring to medications – is due to come into effect as of 1 February 2021.
“The principles of active ingredient prescribing extend to all prescriptions, including private prescriptions,” the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care said in a statement.
The argument for this is that listing the active ingredient (of which there is only ever one for each medical compound, although strengths vary) will allay doctors, nurses and pharmacists from having to list (and recall) one of up to 12 different brand names for a particular type of medication. It also means that patients will have a better handle on, and understanding of, the medication that they are taking – helpful when consulting new doctors, and also useful in preventing patients from forgetting to take certain medications or doubling up on some because they are not familiar with the active ingredient versus brand names.
The good news here for international assistance providers is that managing the care of international patients in Australia (such as expats and business travellers) might have just got a whole lot easier. No doubt the plethora of different brand names of the same drug far exceeds 12 when you take a global view.
What’s more, Australia’s new regulation could also mean that international patients managing chronic conditions treated with prescription drugs can take a more active role in their healthcare – especially if they are able to better understand their medication. And improved engagement with healthcare has oft been shown to enhance overall patient outcomes.