Share by Default reforms deliver early gains as medicines phase moves closer

One week after the Share by Default reforms came into force, early data indicates the changes are already delivering significant benefits.

The reforms, which took effect on 1 July 2026, require pathology and diagnostic imaging reports authored by, or on behalf of, a pathologist or radiologist to be uploaded to My Health Record by default, unless an exception applies or an extension has been granted.

Increased sharing of pathology and diagnostic imaging reports is projected to reduce duplicate testing and associated Medicare Benefits Schedule claims, generating indicative savings of $146.3 million over two years.

Australian Digital Health Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM said the reforms represent an important milestone in improving access to critical health information across the healthcare system.

“Share by Default is about making sure that more Australians have timely access to important health information, helping them have better-informed conversations with their healthcare providers and reducing the need to repeat their health story, or the need to keep repeating the same test, across different care settings,” Cattermole said.

As at 7 June 2026, weekly consumer views had increased by 433% to more than three million, driven by a 105% increase in uploads by healthcare providers to more than five million reports each week.

The 2026 Australian Share-by-Default Readiness, My Health Record Interoperability and Connected Care Report, based on responses from 228 healthcare providers, found that 99% believe Share by Default can improve care coordination, reduce information gaps or support safer consumer access. The report also found that 91% of respondents believe the policy direction is the right one for Australia, while 94% agree Share by Default will improve care coordination and 92% believe it will reduce duplicate requests or missing information over time.

Cattermole added, “This is about giving consumers and their healthcare teams better access to the information they need to support more connected, coordinated and informed care.”

The next phase of the reforms is already underway, with consultation progressing on the mandatory sharing of medicines-related information from online prescribers.

The consultation paper suggests that online prescribing services that offer services related to higher-risk medicines require more consistent medicines-related information sharing. A key example is access to popular weight-loss medicines, such as GLP-1 medicines (Wegovy or Mounjaro) potentially increasing surgery risks, as the use of those drugs causes the stomach to empty at a slower rate, which may cause complications when a person is placed under anaesthesia. Prescription medicinal cannabis was flagged as another example where incomplete medicines information can result in increased risk and safety issues.

Medication-related harm costs the healthcare system upwards of 1.4 billion annually and results in 250,000 hospitalisations and 400,000 presentations to emergency departments.

The closed on 7 July with the government indicating an intention for the requirements to be in place by the end of 2026 and to come into effect in 2027.

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