Minimising the extent of diversion and injection of the pharmaceutical opioids used in opioid substitution treatment (OST) reduces harms to the individual (such as dependence, injection-related injuries and diseases, and overdose) and protects the integrity of the OST program.
Treatment admissions for cannabis use disorders have risen considerably over the last few years, globally and within Australia. There is currently no effective pharmacotherapy for cannabis dependence, and very low abstinence rates reported from psychotherapy alone.
Heroin use and associated harms can be reduced through effective treatment. Past research has shown that treatment for heroin dependence can be relatively cost-effective, but not whether heroin treatment overall is a good investment.
Heroin dependence is remarkably persistent, and in many cases it is a lifelong condition with a high mortality rate. Yet, the natural history of heroin dependence has rarely been studied.
This project sought to clarify Australian drug and alcohol treatment funding; current and future service needs; the gap between met and unmet demand; and planning and funding processes for the future.
This project aimed to deliver:
The NSW Ministry of Health is leading a project to develop a national population based model for drug and alcohol service planning, known as the National Drug and Alcohol Clinical Care and Prevention Modelling Project (DA-CCP).
There is a growing literature documenting the high prevalence of trauma exposure and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people with AOD use disorders. Indeed, in this population trauma exposure is almost universal and up to one-third have current PTSD.
