Resumen de Drugs of Dependence Monitoring System: an effective check of the movements of certain drugs in Australia
For the past 13 years the Commonwealth Department of Health has operated a computerized monitoring system which records the movements throughout Australia of selected legal drugs with abuse potential. The Drugs of Dependence Monitoring System is designed to prevent diversion to the illicit market. From the moment of import or manufacture, every movement of the selected drug is monitored until the drug reaches the final distributor, in most cases a pharmacy, a veterinarian or a hospital. Approximately 300,000 movements are checked each year. All drugs used in Australia, which are covered by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances are included in the system. Reports are generated on quantities imported, exported, locally produced, used in manufacture and distributed. The result is that the risk of diversion has been reduced to a minimum. Information obtained from the system has proved of considerable assistance in fulfilling Australia's international treaty obligations.
