A SIGNIFICANT number of
pharmacists have lost their records
of Schedule 8 medications due to
“ransomware” which has impacted
their electronic drug registers.
Scammers manage to install
programs such as CryptoVirus on
target computers, meaning the
data is encrypted unless the victim
pays a “ransom” to get it back.
According to a communiqué from
the Victorian Pharmacy Authority,
pharmacies notifying it of the
problem have commonly reported
being able to recover or recreate
dispensing records, but not being
able to recover electronic registers
because they had not correctly
backed up the data.
The VPA reminded pharmacists
that drug registers - either
electronic or paper-based - must
accurately reflect the actual
quantities supplied and balance
remaining at all times.
Pharmacies were also urged to
ensure they have adequate storage
for S8 poisons, reviewing stock
levels and implementing larger or
additional drug safes if necessary.The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 17 May 16 To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 17 May 16
THE Australian Government has lowered the age of eligibility for its free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) to 45, unlocking access to the test kits to more than 1.6 million Australians.
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