overdose
Good news on naloxone, for some
The extension of the take-home naloxone pilot doesn’t go far enough, one expert says The Government announced in Tuesday’s Budget that it will provide $3.9 million in 2021‑22 to extend the …
Drug-related deaths rising
A new report from NDARC has highlighted the importance of helping people at risk of overdose from pharmaceutical drugs The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW Sydney has …
The mysterious case of baclofen toxicity
Coroner investigates a woman’s rare and inadvertent death from off-label use of baclofen This story contains details that may distress some readers. Caution is advised. A Victorian Coroner has attributed …
Doc fined $10K over patient death
A GP has been reprimanded and fined for prescribing controlled and restricted drugs to a patient who died from an overdose A general practitioner from North Lakes, Queensland has been …
‘You have put a gun in my mum’s hand.’
A patient would visit her doctor several times a week and ask for “the usual”— thought to be Panadeine Forte, Temaze and Valium by her child who was in the …
Diverted methadone implicated in another death
Multiple coroners have made recommendations for tightened access to unsupervised dosing and better education on storage, with further investigation encouraged in latest case A 71-year-old Victorian woman died in early …
Stories from the frontline
‘He came into the pharmacy, in tears’: How Australian pharmacists are playing a role in reducing opioid deaths The Penington Institute released Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2020 this Monday to …
Unintentional overdose numbers climb
The number of Australians who die from unintentional drug overdose each year continues to rise, and is set to worsen due to COVID-19, a new report reveals. Released on International …
Coroner expresses concern over man’s overdose death
The GP who prescribed methadone to a Tasmanian man was found to have breached the Poisons Act on 35 occasions A 51-year-old Tasmanian man died from acute methadone toxicity in …
The reasons for prescription opioid abuse
Distress and pain are the key reasons people are taking opioids in higher doses than prescribed or without a prescription, new research shows A study led by Monash University researchers, …
Opioid rules tightened
New restrictions on opioids provide an excellent opportunity for pharmacists to raise awareness about dependence, naloxone and pain management, say stakeholders Commencing Monday, 1 June 2020, the PBS listings for …
‘Missed opportunity’ to detect accidental overdose danger
A coroner has made AHPRA notifications about two health practitioners after a young woman unexpectedly died the day after her methadone dose was bumped up The Victorian woman, who was …