Deceased
Terri Anne Woolley-Peresso
Demographics
44y, female
Coroner
Coroner Rosemary Carlin
Date of death
2012-10-04
Finding date
2015-06-23
Cause of death
Unascertained
AI-generated summary
A 44-year-old woman with chronic pain, epilepsy, and opioid dependence died at home with an unascertained cause in the setting of prescription medication use. She was a known 'doctor shopper' who obtained opioids from multiple prescribers simultaneously. Two GPs prescribed strong opioids (hydromorphone, oxycodone) without holding required Schedule 8 permits and without consulting the Drugs and Poisons Regulation (DPR) Help Line, which would have revealed her history of drug-seeking behaviour and existing ORT prescriptions. An Addiction Medicine Unit had recently advised against opioid prescribing. Clinical lessons: GPs must contact DPR before prescribing Schedule 8 drugs to new patients, especially those with pain and potential drug dependence; the DPR Help Line provides superior information to the Prescription Shopping Information Service; complex chronic pain patients with substance use disorder should be referred to specialists; and doctors must understand their legal obligations regarding permit requirements.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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