Megan Auld, CEO of VetScript, looks at how electronic prescriptions can deliver significant productivity and safety benefits to animal health.
As someone who started their career in regulatory reform 25 years ago to help cut red tape faced by small businesses, it’s a sad state of affairs that governments are still painfully slow to deliver commonsense reform. Especially when the technology is available, is already working in human health, requires no government funding, and will deliver significant productivity and safety benefits to the animal health ecosystem.
Since moving into the animal health industry 10 years ago, I’ve been watching a dangerous gap widen between human and animal healthcare in Australia. While our human health system has moved to a more secure, traceable approach with electronic prescriptions, veterinary medicine remains stuck in the dark ages, relying on outdated systems that create an unnecessary burden for vets, animal industries, and the 73 per cent of Australian households who have pets.
This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a serious public safety issue. When lethal drugs like pentobarbital or ketamine aren’t properly tracked, they can be diverted or misused. The recent Gold Coast case – where veterinary euthanasia drugs were allegedly obtained through a fake charity and linked to as many as 20 deaths – is a devastating example of the current system’s flaws. This loophole is large enough to be exploited, with tragic consequences that put the public’s trust in the veterinary profession at risk.
The current paper-based system leaves our dedicated veterinarians exposed and frustrated. With jurisdiction-specific differences and no national framework, the entire weight of prescribing, dispensing, and record-keeping falls on the vet’s shoulders. This is both unfair and unsafe. When a vet needs an external pharmacy to dispense medication – whether for a specially compounded medicine, or at the request of a price-sensitive pet owner – the paper script system creates an unnecessary administrative burden and delays medicine access. Furthermore, vets are vulnerable to fraud and duplicate scripts, with 65 per cent of vets in a recent survey citing this as their biggest concern with paper prescriptions.
The human health sector recognised these risks years ago and began its transition to e-scripts in 2020, with over 219 million electronic prescriptions issued since then. The federal government has announced a plan to mandate e-scripts for high-risk and high-cost medicines, acknowledging the benefits of safety, reduced misuse, and better data. It’s a clear message: drugs can be dangerous, and electronic prescribing is the safest option. That same safeguard must extend to animal health.
Leading the Charge for Regulatory Reform
At VetScript, we recognise that electronic prescribing is the safest form of prescribing. We’ve developed an animal health solution that provides the traceability and compliance already mandated in human health, working directly within veterinary practice software to ensure a secure and efficient process. While technology can only go so far without regulatory alignment, we’re proof that these safeguards are possible.
By advocating for reform, we can close this safety gap, protect our vets, and ensure dangerous drugs don’t fall through the cracks before more lives are lost.
To learn more, please visit our website at vetscript.io.
This article was written by Megan Auld, CEO of VetScript.
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