NSW Health has kicked off the first phase of the statewide roll-out of its new SafeScript NSW real-time prescription monitoring system, with prescribers and pharmacists in the Hunter New England and Central Coast regions invited to register to use it.

Built by Fred IT and based on Victoria’s pioneering SafeScript system, SafeScript NSW will roll out to the other NSW regions over the next six months.

Unlike some of the other states, NSW does not plan to make the use of the system mandatory at this stage, although the collection of prescription and dispense data from the two prescription exchange services for the system is.