October 2018
News
In this issue
| Streamlined Code Alert for Drug Substitution |
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| SafeScript and Fred Dispense for Victorian Pharmacies |
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| Patient Details Mismatch Warning |
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| EFTPOS Scam Alert |
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| Malicious emails are on the rise |
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| This Month's PBS Changes |
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| Running the monthly update for Fred Dispense |
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Streamlined Code Alert for Drug Substitution
Streamlined Codes for substitution between Symbicort Turbuhaler and DuoResp Spiromax for PBS item codes (1) 8625Y and 11273H and (2) 8750M and 11301T
The Department of Health has advised of the following when claiming for prescriptions written in August and September 2018 for the below PBS item codes:
- 8625Y and 11273H: budesonide 200 microgram/actuation + formoterol (eformoterol) fumarate dihydrate 6 microgram/actuation powder for inhalation, 120 actuations
- 8750M and 11301T: budesonide 400 microgram/actuation + formoterol (eformoterol) fumarate dihydrate 12 microgram/actuation powder for inhalation, 2 x 60 actuations
Pharmacists dispensing these scripts (including any repeats) MUST claim against the streamlined code that was valid at the date of prescribing for the item code being dispensed.
For example, a script written prior to 1 October 2018 for item code 11273H (with a streamlined code of 7527), which is substituted after 1 October 2018 by item code 8625Y, should be claimed under streamlined code 4380 because that was the valid streamlined code for 8625Y at the date of prescribing.
The respective streamlined code(s) to be used will appear in the prompt where the authority details for a script are to be entered. Failure to use the suggested streamlined codes will result in the script being rejected by PBS Online.
SafeScript and Fred Dispense for Victorian Pharmacies
Invitations to register for SafeScript were sent to practitioners whose primary place of practice recorded with AHPRA is within the Western Victoria Primary Health Network on 14 August. Practitioners whose primary place of practice recorded with AHPRA is outside the WVPHN are still welcome to register by going to www.safescript.vic.gov.au. The registration process normally takes around 10 minutes and it is recommended that registration is done on a tablet or desktop web browser.
SafeScript will be available to access from 2 October 2018. The initial rollout of SafeScript will be focused on sites within WVPHN until December 2018. However, all practitioners will be able to access SafeScript when it is available. General rollout to the rest of Victoria will commence from January 2019.
For more information, see the SafeScript page on the Health Victoria website.
Activating SafeScript in Fred Dispense
Once you've registered with SafeScript, you can activate SafeScript in Fred Dispense:
- Select Setup > eHealth Configuration > SafeScript Configuration.
- Select the Activate SafeScript check box.
After activating SafeScript, when you dispense S8 or Victorian monitored drugs:
- You will need to enter the patient's date of birth.
- You will receive a notification from SafeScript when you navigate to the Pharmacist Initials field.
For more information, refer to SafeScript in Fred Dispense.
Patient Details Mismatch Warning
The Patient Details Mismatch warning will alert you when there is a mismatch between patient details contained in the selected Fred patient and the patient details contained in the electronic script (eScript) record. This warning will display ONLY when there is a mismatch.
The Patient Details Mismatch warning will display in certain scenarios—for example, if the IHI, DOB, Gender, Medicare Number, or Patient Name differ between Fred Dispense and the eScript record. Address mismatch does not trigger the Patient Details Mismatch warning.
Read more about this warning, including how to proceed when it occurs in Patient Details Mismatch Warning.
EFTPOS Scam Alert
Scammers have been reported using EFTPOS terminals to make fraudulent purchases by exploiting a security flaw.
The scammers generally work in teams, with one person chatting to distract the sales person while their partner carries out the scam. The second person produces a credit card, but doesn't push it all the way in or double swipes it. Then they cancel the transaction and manually enter the details for a stolen credit card.
Pharmacies are advised to remain vigilant when customers are using EFTPOS terminals and to contact their bank or EFTPOS provider if further information or advice is required.
Read more about this type of scam in The security flaw in eftpos machines being used by scammers on news.com.au.
Malicious emails are on the rise
What might malicious emails look like?
Malicious emails are disguised as seemingly innocent day-to-day notifications about:
- parcel delivery details
- email account closures
- banking information
- requests for help
- traffic infringement notices
- unsolicited resumes
- delayed instant messages
Scams: Some malicious emails are scams that attempt to fraudulently acquire personal information from you (such as your account password or credit card information) – known as phishing scams.
Viruses: Other emails contain viruses that will be stopped by your Anti-Virus software. Ensure that you have the most up-to-date anti-virus running on your PCs. Speak to your Fred account manager to find out more on 1800 888 828.
How would I know if a seemingly innocent email contains a virus? What can you do to prevent scams/virus infection? What to do I do if my computer is infected?
Read the full quick reference guide: Identify and Avoid Malicious Emails
This Month's PBS Changes
For the full Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, go to the PBS website at http://www.pbs.gov.au/ where you can search the schedule by drug name.
For your convenience, we've also uploaded a printable summary of this month's important PBS changes to this site:
Please note that the Government provides this information under embargo to Fred IT Group to enable next month’s PBS changes to be incorporated into your drug file. We have provided this information in this newsletter to prepare you for the changes, maximising patient availability/access and enabling you to adjust your stock accordingly. A condition of the embargo and in the interests of the quality use of medicines is that the information must not be released to the public or otherwise distributed prior to 1 October 2018.