Authorities
You can view and create authorities from a patient, from a prescriber, or from the authorities screen.
Depending on what your starting point is, there may be slight variations in the options available in each of the sections. For example, if you create an authority from a patient profile, the patient details are read-only. However, when you are creating an authority from the Authorities Search page, and then select a patient, then the patient details can be edited.
Authority Search
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From the navigation menu, select Authorities.
By default, the Authority Search page displays only those authorities that need to be reviewed. In other words, only the authorities with the Status of Pending, Submitted, Waiting for additional info or In progress are displayed.
- (If required) Filter by Date Range.
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(If required) Apply additional filters to each column header. You can:
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Click the calendar icon () at the top of a date column to filter on a single date.
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Type free text in any column header with a magnifying glass (). For example, type "pend" in the Authority Status search box to display only Pending authorities.
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Remove a filter—click on the cross ().
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(If required) Sort the data by clicking on a column header. Click again to sort in the reverse direction.
The Patient column cannot be sorted.
If you are viewing an authority from a Practitioner or Patient record, the Medicines column displays, however, you cannot sort on the Medicines column.
- Click to open an existing Authority and take the appropriate Action.
For example, update the authority from Pending to Approved.
This is subject to the user's level of permission. For some user roles authorities display as read-only.
The Authorities Search page only displays the newest version of each authority, including the Number, Version, Type and Status.
- If the authority cannot be found, click Create Authority, and select the relevant authority type: Non-MATOD or Medical Cannabis or MATOD or MATOD NAS.
View a patient's authorities
- From the navigation menu, select Search > Patients to search for a patient.
- If the patient is flagged as Regulatory , open the relevant record and view in Patient Details.
- Expand the Authorities section to display all existing authorities (if any).
- Select to create an authority for this patient.
Authority Type Description MATOD
Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence
MATOD NAS
Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence -Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
NAS is a syndrome of withdrawal in a baby following exposure to drugs in-utero. NAS is most often caused when a woman takes opioids during pregnancy and can be managed with morphine to treat neonatal withdrawal symptoms.
In accordance with Regulation 22(2) of the Controlled Substances [Poisons] Regulations 2011 (SA), an authority is required when treatment exceeds 14 days of inpatient treatment or discharge medication. Authority to prescribe requires written application to the DDU, by a prescriber, generally a paediatrician in a neonatal unit.
Non-MATOD
An authority is approved to a specific prescriber for a specific drug of dependence for a nominated patient.
Medicinal Cannabis
A section 18A authority to prescribe a Schedule 8 controlled drug (drug of dependence) is required:
after 2 months of treatment or before commencing treatment where the person has already been prescribed a Schedule 8 drug for a period exceeding 2 months
before commencing treatment for any person the medical practitioner reasonably believes to be dependent on drugs.
MATOD Accreditation
In South Australia, a medical practitioner must complete the South Australian Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) Prescriber training in order to become an accredited MATOD prescriber.
Refer to Patient Search
In Patient Search Results, the patient records are flagged as: , , or .
If the patient you want to create an authority for is flagged as , you must first create a patient profile for this patient and link it to the profile with medication history.
Refer to Patient Profile
