The Queensland government will require pharmacists to report when they dispense Schedule 8 (S8) drugs of addiction on a weekly rather than monthly basis but will only begin developing a business case for implementing real-time reporting later this year, despite technology enabling real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) being made available five years ago.

Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick said his department would consult with pharmacists and doctors on the move, which comes as Australian Bureau of Statistics data show that prescription painkillers have overtaken illicit sources as the underlying cause in most accidental opioid overdose deaths.