Alert Rules

When certain risk conditions occur, NTScript raises an alert against a patient's profile to draw attention to the risk. A patient's alerts can be viewed against their Medication History, and in a historic alerts list.

Alert rules are triggered when a health practitioner using clinical software fully integrated with NTScript (or using the RTPM Notification App) prescribes or dispenses a monitored medicine.

When an alert rule has been triggered, an alert message will be displayed on the patient’s NTScript record.

High-risk clinical scenario A: Patient currently registered on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program

This alert rule will trigger for prescribing and dispensing events for patients currently registered on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program (QOTP), irrespective of whether the patient has been ‘picking up’ their doses.

When the alert rule is triggered, the following message is displayed on the patient’s NTScript record:

High-risk clinical scenario A: [Patient name] is currently registered on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program

High-risk clinical scenario B: Patient previously on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program

This alert rule will trigger for prescribing and dispensing events for patients who have previously been registered on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program (QOTP).

Only QOTP episodes which were open on or after 1 January 2015 are recorded in NTScript.

When the alert rule is triggered, the following message is displayed on the patient’s NTScript record:

High-risk clinical scenario B: [Patient name] has previously been registered on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program

High-risk clinical scenario C: Patient receiving monitored medicines from multiple prescribers

This alert rule will trigger for prescribing and dispensing events for patients who in the previous 90 days have been dispensed monitored medicine prescriptions written by four (4) or more prescribers.

When the alert rule is triggered, the following message is displayed on the patient’s NTScript record:

High-risk clinical scenario C: In the previous 90 days [Patient name] has been dispensed monitored medicine prescriptions written by four (4) or more prescribers.

High-risk clinical scenario D: Increased patient overdose risk—daily opioids of 100mg OME or greater

This alert rule will trigger for prescribing and dispensing events for patients whose average total daily opioid dose:

  • is currently 100mg OME or greater—based on the amount of opioids dispensed over the previous 90 days; or
  • will be 100mg OME or greater—based on the amount of opioids dispensed over the previous 90 days (if any) and the amount of opioids proposed to be prescribed or dispensed.

When the alert rule is triggered, the following message is displayed on the patient’s NTScript record:

High-risk clinical scenario D: [Patient name] is receiving an average total daily opioid dose of 100mg OME or greater, and may be at increased risk of harm.

High-risk clinical scenario E: Increased patient overdose risk—opioid and benzodiazepine/z-drug combination

This alert rule will trigger for prescribing and dispensing events for patients who in the previous 90 days have been dispensed:

  • an opioid and a benzodiazepine/z-drug; or
  • an opioid—and it is proposed they are prescribed or dispensed a benzodiazepine/z-drug; or
  • a benzodiazepine/z-drug—and it is proposed they are prescribed or dispensed an opioid.

When the alert rule is triggered, the following message is displayed on the patient’s NTScript record:

High-risk clinical scenario E: [Patient name] is receiving an opioid and a benzodiazepine / z-drug, and may be at increased risk of harm.

High-risk clinical scenario F: Patient receiving an opioid or benzodiazepine / z-drug for the first time in 90 days

This alert rule will trigger for prescribing and dispensing events for patients who in the previous 90 days have not been dispensed:

  • an opioid (including tramadol and codeine-containing medicines)—and it is proposed they are prescribed or dispensed an opioid; or
  • a benzodiazepine/z-drug—and it is proposed they are prescribed or dispensed a benzodiazepine/z-drug.

When the alert rule is triggered, the following message is displayed on the patient’s NTScript record:

High-risk clinical scenario F: [Patient name] has not been dispensed an opioid in the previous 90 days.

—or—

High-risk clinical scenario F: [Patient name] has not been dispensed a benzodiazepine / z-drug] in the previous 90 days.