GP unknowingly issued telehealth scripts to hospitalised patient who overdosed the next day
The GP was unaware that the patient was hospitalised or had filled a pregabalin script the previous day.
A patient died of drug toxicity the day after he was inappropriately prescribed temazepam and pregabalin via telehealth during his hospitalisation for a drug-related infection, a coroner has found.
The 43-year-old had a long history of prescription drug misuse and was using methamphetamine about once a week.
Shortly before his death in April 2023, he received additional prescriptions from three GPs at his regular clinic, which enabled him to stockpile medications.
This meant he was able to fill an 18-day pregabalin prescription the day before his death despite being hospitalised with an infection from IV drug use and COVID-19.
