The mother of a Canberra man who died from a prescription drug overdose has questioned delays to changes to a prescription monitoring system for the ACT recommended by a coroner.
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ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris on Thursday tabled the government's response to the Inquest into the Death of Paul Fennessy, agreeing with both Coroner Margaret Hunter's recommendations.
Coroner Hunter recommended the government fully implement the ACT's Drugs and Poisons Information Service as a "real-time" system and adapt it to include online remote access (DORA) for doctors and pharmacists.
But the government's response shows the full monitoring system would not begin operating until at least March 2019, more than nine years after Mr Fennessy died in January 2010.
Coroner Hunter also recommended that "all medical files including mental health records, in relation to a patient being treated at a Canberra Public Hospital be made available to all clinical staff at the hospital when required".
But it is understood such records were already available to staff, if accessed, at the time of Mr Fennessy's death.
Mr Fennessy's mother, Ann Finlay, said his death, and many others, had highlighted the problem years before the official report and it was unclear why the government had not acted sooner on prescription monitoring system.
"I just wonder how many other Paul's died in the seven years since he died, and how many more will die in Canberra in the two years until this system is working, why the delay?" she said.
"I'd also like to know what real changes have been made, and what more facilities and resources will be provided for people like Paul."
The inquest examined a raft of systemic problems in Canberra's health system, from the lack of prescription monitoring to hospital discharge procedures, among many others.
It is understood ACT Health has made a number of changes in the years since, including legislative reforms and procedural changes.
Ms Finlay said she was also disappointed that there were not more recommendations for health reforms, given the amount and nature of evidence heard during the inquest.
But she said she had appreciated Ms Fitzharris taking the time to talk to her on Thursday after the response was tabled.
The government's official response said the DAPIS monitoring system, used by ACT Health's health protection service, had been in place since September 2014 and the directorate was "strongly supportive" of rolling out DORA.
