opioid
The opioid snapshot
New data reveals the largest increase for a decade in the number of patients receiving opioid dependency treatment On a snapshot day in 2020, over 53,300 clients received pharmacotherapy treatment …
Prescription opioids: a needed discussion
While the tightening of opioid rules might bring pain and panic, for patients and healthcare professionals alike, there’s hope for a positive outcome Over the past decade there has been …
New advice on combinations
PBS issues new claiming advice on opioid combinations as listing changes take effect From yesterday (1 June 2020) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listings have changed for opioid products. The PBS …
‘Lifesaving’ medicine added to PBS
The newly listed nasal spray version of naloxone will also be made available as an option for the take home naloxone pilot A nasal spray form of naloxone, a medicine …
Don’t keep strong pain medicines ‘just in case’
TGA rolls out campaign to curb opioid harm Community pharmacies across Australia will receive 500 repeat script covers encouraging safe disposal of unwanted medicines, as the TGA rolls out its …
A disease like any other
Stakeholders say that chronic pain should be seen as, and treated like, any other condition. So why is chronic pain, and those who seek treatment for it, so stigmatised? Media …
Getting the message across
What are the practical steps pharmacists can take to aid in safe and appropriate use of opioid analgesics? As concerns grow over the inappropriate use of opioid analgesics, is there …
The pill epidemic
Painkiller misuse is rife, survey finds, with 75% reporting misuse of OTC codeine products, and 20% misusing prescriptions The recently released Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) …
How long is too long for opioids?
With overprescription rife, what is the optimal length for opioid scripts post surgery, and how can pharmacists help? According to recent US data, the majority of patients undergoing common elective …
Snapshot of addiction
10 interesting stats on the treatment of drug dependency across Australia, including uptake of opioid pharmacotherapy The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has published the latest data on …
Victoria revises opioid pharmacotherapy policy
State’s health department has been forced to reassess policy after concerns about numbers of methadone-related deaths were raised by the Coroner Key changes in the revised ‘Policy for maintenance pharmacotherapy …
Forum: PSA responds to claims RMMR pharmacists lacked support
Following claims from RMMR pharmacist Penny Kraemer that RMMR pharmacists have not always had the professional support they deserve, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has responded. “The PSA consistently advocates …