From Monday, the Ministry of Health will introduce a system for monitoring the issuance and fulfillment of prescriptions for opioids, including fentanyl. The information was confirmed by a ministry spokesman in an interview with TVN24.
Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna she recalled on Saturday on Polsat News that when teleconsultations were introduced into the legal system during the pandemic, the so-called Receptomats. – Unfortunately, they were not introduced into the legal order in such a tight way that we would not have to correct them – she added.
– Two months ago, I ordered the Ministry of Health team to develop rules and definitions, for example, of what a teleconsultation examination is, because unfortunately PIS he didn't do it, she said. She emphasized that legal loopholes would be removed as soon as possible. She emphasized that she had instructed the director of the e-Health Center to implement continuous monitoring of the issuance and fulfillment of opioid prescriptions.
Ministry of HealthElzbieta Krzysztof/Shutterstock
– From Monday, a daily system for monitoring opioid prescriptions, including fentanyl, will be operational – she noted. Leszczyna explained that by observing trends and irregularities, it will be possible to react immediately through the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector and notify law enforcement authorities.
– I want to clearly emphasize that this monitoring will be carried out at the level of doctors and medical entities, but patient data will absolutely not be transferred anywhere – she said.
The information was confirmed by ministry spokesman Jan Gołąb in an interview with TVN24. Prescription figures are likely to be reported on a weekly basis. The system is to be fully developed by the end of June.
Fentanyl in Poland
Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller from the opioid group. It is a hundred times stronger than morphine. It is used in the palliative treatment of people suffering from oncology and seriously suffering. The safe dosage of fentanyl can only be determined by a doctor, each time individually for each patient. This drug has a strong psychoactive effect, so it is also used as a narcotic.
The police reported on Saturday that from January 2022 to mid-April 2024, police officers seized 252.2 g of fentanyl and its derivatives in Poland. This amount is small considering approximately 21 tons of narcotic drugs seized by the police last year, the police informed.
Read also: Fentanyl also kills in Poland
In Poland, illegal trade in fentanyl most often occurs through false prescriptions or theft of medicines containing these substances, although the police also indicate that the powder or tablet may also be smuggled.
FentanylShutterstock
In Poland, the police have already confirmed several fatal cases where this opioid was the cause. Over the last several months, the police have conducted 20 preparatory proceedings related to fentanyl, and 22 suspects have been identified. The police pointed out that the number of proceedings conducted in these cases constitutes a marginal share of the total drug market in Poland. In 2023 alone, the police initiated 37,728 drug-related proceedings.
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