Implementation of a Statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program – Healthcare Practitioners’ Perspectives

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are used to monitor and mitigate high-risk medicine use and harms. As part of a larger mixed-methods evaluation, this study explored healthcare practitioners' perspectives on the implementation of "SafeScript NSW" (NSW's PDMP). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen prescribers (general practitioners, other specialists, and nurse practitioners) and pharmacists impacted by the implementation of SafeScript NSW. Participants outlined implementation strategies that worked well, but identified gaps with poor awareness of SafeScript NSW among many specialties that use PDMP-monitored medicines but were not targeted by promotional efforts. Participants identified potential facilitators and barriers to long-term success of SafeScript NSW, and had mixed perceptions about mandating use as a long-term strategy. This is one of the first studies exploring healthcare practitioners' perceptions of statewide PDMP implementation processes. Insights from end-users can inform strategies to improve awareness and uptake by healthcare practitioners that may benefit from using PDMP and optimise the realisation of potential benefits.