New Brunswick is rolling out a prescription monitoring program aimed at helping improve patient safety.
The program will make it easier for health-care providers to identify risks related to monitored drugs like opioids.
MaveRX allows users to track the prescription and dispensation of all drugs, including opioids, stimulants and sedatives.
Providers can set notifications for high dosing, dangerous drug combinations and risky patient behaviours, such as receiving prescriptions from multiple prescribers or pharmacies.
“It plays a vital role in promoting patient safety, facilitating health-care collaboration and aiding in the broader efforts to combat substance use disorders,” Health Minister Bruce Fitch said in a news release.
Health-care providers will be able to monitor a patient’s progress on medication treatments for addictions, other mental health conditions and pain management.
They will instantly be notified of potential forgeries, which officials said will help reduce fraudulent activity and prevent these drugs from reaching the black market.
Providers will also be able to get individualized reports about their prescribing practices and how patients may be affected.
“This new system brings us a step closer to improving outcomes through early interventions, improved treatment co-ordination and increased support for addiction treatment efforts,” said Sherry Wilson, the minister responsible for addictions and mental health services.
The system is available to health-care providers authorized to issue or fill prescriptions, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, midwives, podiatrists and optometrists.