‘What we’re seeing is not telehealth’: alarm over doctors using AI and prescribing without seeing patients

Consumers Health Forum calls on Australian government to address ‘significant safety concerns’ about prescribing without any conversation with patient

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Australia’s health regulator is fielding complaints about the use of artificial intelligence during telehealth prescribing, and patients being issued with prescriptions without ever speaking with a doctor.

A spokesperson for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) told Guardian Australia the agency had received 550 notifications about telehealth consults and prescribing across health professions since July 2020. Of those, 30% related to complaints about a practitioner not adequately assessing a patient, they said.

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