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Trends in drug-related hospitalisations in Western Australia, 1999-2020

Western Australia

There were 6,389 hospitalisations with a drug-related principal diagnosis in Western Australia in 2019-20, equivalent to 0.57% of all hospitalisations in Western Australia.

This is equivalent to 249 hospitalisations per 100,000 people, which was a significant increase from 2018-19 (246 hospitalisations per 100,000 people; p=0.027) (Table 1) and higher than the rate in 1999-00 (209 hospitalisations per 100,000 people) (Figure 1).

Sex

The rate of hospitalisations was higher among females than males in 2019-20 (258 versus 242 hospitalisations per 100,000 people).

Age

In 2019-20, the rate of hospitalisations was highest among the 20-29 age group, followed by the 30-39 and 40-49 age groups (506, 413, and 322 hospitalisations per 100,000 people, respectively).

Remoteness Area of Usual Residence

The highest rate of hospitalisations in 2019-20 was observed in outer regional Western Australia (359 hospitalisations per 100,000 people), while the number of hospitalisations was highest in major cities (4,603 hospitalisations) (Figure 2).

External Cause of Drug Poisoning

In 2019-20, 49% of drug-related hospitalisations in Western Australia were due to drug poisoning. Furthermore, 66% of drug poisoning related hospitalisations were intentional (80 hospitalisations per 100,000 people) and 28% were unintentional (33 hospitalisations per 100,000 people) (Figure 3).

Drug Type

In 2019-20, the rate of hospitalisations was highest where there was a principal diagnosis indicating amphetamines and other stimulants (81 hospitalisations per 100,000 people) (Figure 4).

Compared to 2018-19, there were significant decreases in 2019-20 in the rates of hospitalisations related to opioids; and non-opioid analgesics (p<0.050) (Table 1).

In contrast, there were significant increases in the rates of hospitalisations related to amphetamines and other stimulants; antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs; antidepressants; and cocaine (p<0.050) (Table 1).


Figure 1. Age-standardised rate per 100,000 people of drug-related hospitalisations, by sex, Western Australia, 1999-00 to 2019-20.


Figure 2. Age-standardised rate per 100,000 people of drug-related hospitalisations, by remoteness, Western Australia, 2012-13 to 2019-20.

Note: The size (area) of the bubble is proportional to the number of hospitalisations. Data by remoteness are only available from 2012-13.


Figure 3. Age-standardised rate per 100,000 people of drug-related hospitalisations, by principal diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorder due to substance use (A) and external cause of poisoning (B), Western Australia, 1999-00 to 2019-20.

Note: Age-standardised rates were not calculated if the number of hospitalisations was less than or equal to 10(please refer to our methods document for details). Suppressed data are visible as gaps in the data series.


Figure 4. Age-standardised rate per 100,000 people of drug-related hospitalisations, by drug identified in the principal diagnosis, Western Australia, 1999-00 to 2019-20.

Note: Age-standardised rates were not calculated if the number of hospitalisations was less than or equal to 10 (please refer to our methods document for details). Suppressed data are visible as gaps in the data series.


Table 1. Age-standardised rate per 100,000 people of drug-related hospitalisations in 2019-20 and rate ratio and p-value for difference compared to 2018-19, in Western Australia by drug type identified in the principal diagnosis


Age-standardised rate (95% CI) 2019-20 versus 2018-19
Drug 2019-20 2018-19 Rate ratio P-value
All drugs 249 (243,256) 246 (240,252) 1.01 (1.00,1.03) 0.027
Amphetamines and other stimulants 81 (77,84) 77 (73,80) 1.06 (1.03,1.08) <0.001
Antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs 37 (35,39) 35 (33,37) 1.06 (1.02,1.09) <0.001
Opioids 26 (24,28) 28 (26,30) 0.94 (0.91,0.98) 0.002
Non-opioid analgesics 25 (23,27) 29 (26,31) 0.88 (0.85,0.92) <0.001
Cannabinoids 22 (20,24) 22 (20,24) 1.00 (0.96,1.05) 0.824
Antipsychotics and neuroleptics 18 (17,20) 18 (17,20) 0.99 (0.95,1.04) 0.677
Multiple drug use 18 (17,20) 18 (16,19) 1.03 (0.98,1.08) 0.239
Antidepressants 17 (15,18) 16 (14,17) 1.05 (1.00,1.11) 0.036
Volatile solvents 2.5 ( 2.0, 3.2) 2.3 ( 1.8, 3.0) 1.10 (0.97,1.25) 0.133
Hallucinogens 1.7 ( 1.2, 2.3) 1.5 ( 1.0, 2.0) 1.17 (1.00,1.37) 0.055
Cocaine 0.9 ( 0.5, 1.3) 0.4 ( 0.2, 0.8) 2.01 (1.55,2.62) <0.001
Note: 95% confidence intervals for the age-standardised rate and rate ratio are shown in brackets. Please refer to our methods document on 'Presentation of results' for interpretation of rate ratios. Please also refer to our methods document on 'Scope of the data' and 'Coding of hospitalisations' for specifications of data selected and all exclusions.


Funding

The Drug Trends program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health under the Drug and Alcohol Program.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for data from the National Hospital Morbidity Database.

We thank Dr Louise Tierney and her team from the Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drugs Unit at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for reviewing the report.

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of those who have been involved in past reporting on drug-related hospitalisations by Drug Trends, specifically: A/Prof Timothy Dobbins, Dr Amanda Roxburgh, and A/Prof Lucinda Burns.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which the work for this report was undertaken. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.

Recommended citation

Chrzanowska, A., Man, N., Sutherland, R., Degenhardt, L. & Peacock, A. (2021). Trends in drug-related hospitalisations in Australia, 1999-2020. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney.

Related Links

Hospitalisations data visualisations: https://drugtrends.shinyapps.io/hospital_separations

Hospitalisations methods document: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource-analytics/trends-drug-related-hospitalisations-australia-1999-2020

For other Drug Trends publications on drug-related hospitalisations and drug-induced deaths, go to: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/project/national-illicit-drug-indicators-project-nidip

For more information on NDARC research, go to: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/

For more information about the AIHW and NHMD, go to: https://www.aihw.gov.au/

For more information on ICD coding go to: http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/ https://www.ihpa.gov.au/what-we-do/icd-10-am-achi-acs-current-edition

For more research from the Drug Trends program go to: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/program/drug-trends

Contact us

Email: drugtrends@unsw.edu.au