Telehealth concerns prompt national medicines database

The government has announced it will establish a database that provides a complete picture of a patient's medicines history. 

At the moment, this information is only available for high-risk medications. 

Also good news in the first year of the Shingrix vaccine rollout to protect against the painful shingles virus. 

And a Cochrane review casts doubt on the use of medicinal cannabis for chronic nerve pain. 

References

• First step towards a national medicines record
• National medicines database promised after telehealth 'doctor-shopping' leads to overdose
• Uptake of Shingrix vaccine in its first year on the National Immunisation Program: an analysis of Australian Immunisation Register data
• Cannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults