drug misuse
Methadone thief gets three years
A man who stole a bottle of methadone from a pharmacy and was soon after found unconscious has been jailed for a maximum of three years Benjamin Robert Joseph went …
Forum: Oh NO!?
An Auspharm forum member writes: “We were walking in the woods. I was with Cedric my best friend and Dorothy my girlfriend. It was a beautiful day, we love the …
Waste water analysis reveals drug use
Analysis of wastewater shows ice is Australia’s most-consumed illicit drug… and oxycodone and fentanyl use is also high The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has released the first National Wastewater Drug …
Move illicit drugs to ‘white’ economy: report
Pharmacists could have a greater role in harm minimisation under the recommendations of a new report The Australia 21 report, Can Australia respond to drugs more effectively and safely, has …
Mindset change needed on addictive pharmaceuticals
Pharmacists can play a key role in reducing the impact of Australia’s “pill-popping” culture, say stakeholders as a new campaign launches to combat the problem The Alcohol and Drug Foundation …
World news wrapup: 3 November 2016
We take a look at pharmacy news from around the world Minnesota, US: The Minnesota State Pharmacy Board is proposing new rules which would prohibit pharmacies from requiring pharmacists to …
New counselling service for substance misusers
A new national online counselling service is set to help people affected by substance misuse to get the support they need. The Minister for Health, Sussan Ley, said as part …
Teens misusing paracetamol, ibuprofen
Teenagers are increasingly abusing licit pharmaceuticals including painkillers, new research shows – and opioids aren’t the only drugs they’re misusing. Associate Professor of the National Drug Institute Nicole Lee analysed …
Loperamide dubbed ‘poor man’s methadone’ in misuse warning
Diarrhoea remedy loperamide is being used to get a “morphine-like” high, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Telegraph says use of the medicine, which it says has been dubbed the …
Smart drugs harm minimisation doesn’t condone abuse
Pharmacists can’t stop people misusing so-called “smart drugs” but we have an obligation to minimise their risk of harm, writes Sabrine Elkhodr A few weeks ago, a friend of mine …
ADHD drugs overprescribed, misused: study
Rates of misuse of psychostimulants to treat ADHD are rising, due to overdiagnosis of the condition and overprescription of the drugs, according to the authors of an editorial published in …
Which occupations are misusing prescribed and OTC drugs?
Hospitality and blue-collar jobs are high-risk occupations for misuse of legally prescribed and OTC pharmaceutical drugs, new data show. Curtin University research, focusing on whether any differences exist between workers …