A prescription monitoring system to prevent "doctor shopping" in Queensland is needed urgently within the next two years, rather than the state waiting for a national scheme to come online, an inquest into four opioid deaths has found.

Coroner James McDougall examined the deaths of William House, Jodie Anne Smith, Vanessa Joan White and Daniel Keith Milne between 2012 and 2014.

Medical bodies including the Australian Medical Association and the Pharmacy Guild have repeatedly called for a real-time monitoring system to be introduced in Queensland to prevent addicts from visiting different doctors to collect multiple opioid prescriptions.

There are already moves towards a national monitoring system, after Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced $16 million in funding for one last July.

But Mr McDougall said Queensland Health should look to implement its own real-time tracking system "urgently" — definitely within two years.

"The number of deaths that will occur in the interim whilst implementation is taking place is alarming," he said.

"Coronial statistics indicate an annual death toll from prescription opioids approaching 1,500 people each year and increasing.

"Given the growing epidemic associated with opioid misuse, the states and territories need to take responsibility for addressing the increasing issues associated with the prescribing, dispensing and monitoring of drugs of dependence."

The coroner also said more education was needed for doctors prescribing schedule 8 medicines.

Schedule 8 drugs include powerful painkillers such as fentanyl and oxycodone.

"It seems there is a lack of effective, independent and mandatory clinical education and support to general practitioners as appropriate prescribing practitioners of schedule 8 medicines," he said.

"A number of doctors who treated Mr House, Mr Smith and Ms White have expressly stated that they have not been provided with specific education in relation to prescribing controlled drugs."

Mr McDougall said authorities needed to consider banning the promotion of the substances to doctors.

Prescription 'tidal wave' causing deaths: doctors

AMA Queensland spokesman Dr Richard Kidd said there had been a "tidal wave" of people dying from prescription medicines in the state.

"Every day we do not have real-time prescription monitoring there are people dying needlessly," he said.

Dr Kidd said it would also go a long way to stop doctor shopping and accused the State Government of "penny pinching" by delaying its introduction.

Pharmacy Guild vice-president Queensland Chris Owen said pharmacists and doctors had been calling for real-time monitoring for years.

"It's probably the only proactive tool in stopping doctor shopping," he said.

"Doctor-shopping patients … are very persuasive and coercive in terms of getting the medications that they want."

However, both men rejected calls for doctors to be banned from meeting with drug companies.

"That is throwing the baby out with the bath water," Mr Kidd said.

"Drug companies do a lot of good positive education.

"Arguably if people were not being exposed to that education they may be prescribing something inappropriately because they have not caught up with best understanding on how to use things."