A coroner has recommended changes to prevent the practice of ‘doctor shopping’ after the death of a Toowoomba critical care nurse, who accidentally overdosed on pain medication in 2013.
Katie Lee Howman, 30, fatally overdosed on the drug Fentanyl in her home in December 2013, three years after she overdosed while on duty at the Toowoomba Hospital.
She had been placed under supervision upon returning to work, including reporting to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
An inquest into her death heard she had been doctor shopping to more than 30 professionals for pain medication but the fatal dose of Fentanyl was most likely taken from the hospital.
Coroner Christine Clements ruled the hospital did take appropriate steps to prevent her from overdosing again.
However, she strongly recommended there be statutory change to enable real time access to relevant prescription and doctor attendance history and the regulator should routinely seek this information of health practitioners who were under supervision.