Electronic Medication Management – Prescribing High-Risk Medicine Guidance

This document is a clinical guidance resource developed by the department to support safer prescribing of high-risk medicines within electronic clinical systems. It responds to Victorian Coroners’ findings where Electronic Medication Management (EMM) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems contributed to patient harm.

Overview

This guidance supports Victorian health services in the safe management of high-risk medicines within EMM and EMR systems.

The guidance consolidates findings from a national review commissioned by the department. It offers strategies for improving how high-risk medicines are presented, prescribed, and monitored in digital health systems.

It focuses on medicines classified under the APINCH acronym and provides strategies for inpatient prescribing workflows. These include decision support tools, presentation changes, user restrictions, and monitoring dashboards.

Health services should review this guidance with their clinical governance and EMM advisory teams prior to implementation or local variation.