A coroner has called for improved monitoring of patients’ prescriptions after finding that a Thomastown woman died after “doctor shopping” for a cocktail of drugs.
Milica (Mary) Minchev was found dead in her uncle’s Thomastown home on February 26, 2013. She was 48 years old.
A coroner’s report into her death was recently released, ruling that she died of drug toxicity from taking oxycodone and benzodiazepines. It was found that in the 12 months before her death, Ms Minchev was doctor shopping and was prescribed drugs by at least 31 doctors across 12 different medical services in Whittlesea and the northern suburbs.
A Coroners Prevention Unit investigation found that Ms Minchev was listed as drug-dependent by some of the services.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson ruled that it was impossible to determine who prescribed the drugs that led to Ms Minchev’s death.
She noted that Ms Minchev’s habit of doctor shopping made it difficult for medical professionals to understand the extent of her drug dependency.
Ms Jamieson said Ms Minchev’s death was evidence of the need for real-time prescription monitoring in Victoria to make health professionals aware of patients’ prescription history.
The state government announced plans to introduce a monitoring system in the 2016-17 budget. “There appears to have been clear evidence that Ms Minchev was engaged in prescription shopping but doctors did not identify the behaviour or intervene to prevent her access to medication beyond her therapeutic need,” Ms Jamieson said.
“It is anticipated that with the advent of Real Time Prescription Monitoring, doctors in Victoria will be assisted to monitor their patients’ medication with far better oversight … than was rendered in Ms Minchev’s case.”
