Dr Natasa Gisev will examine trends in Australian rates and predictors of opioid use, and the prevalence of potential high-risk prescribing patterns.
Over the last decade, the use of pharmaceutical opioids has increased dramatically in a number of developed countries, including Australia. Coinciding with increases in rates of opioid use, are concerns about potential misuse, diversion and harms. Bringing together data from ecological and cohort studies, this seminar will provide an overview of the evidence on the trends in rates and predictors of use of opioids across Australia. It will also examine the prevalence of potential high-risk prescribing patterns and discuss key priority areas for responding to Australia’s opioid problem
Speaker Bio:
Dr Natasa Gisev is a clinical pharmacist and Scientia Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney. Her research interests lie in the use of big data and data linkage to evaluate medicines use and corresponding benefits/harms among populations with complex health care needs, including older adults and those with mental health and substance use disorders. The ultimate goal of her work is to improve the quality use of medicines and clinical outcomes in these populations. Her work has influenced national and international policy and practice in the delivery of mental health treatment services, as well as the upscaling of treatment services for opioid dependence. She is currently leading a programme of work focused on establishing population-based evidence on the long-term outcomes of prescribed opioid use, including the risk of developing dependence, overdose, and other harms.