The main purpose of the NOPSAD collection is to aggregate standardised jurisdictional data on the number of clients accessing pharmacotherapy for the treatment of opioid dependence on a snapshot day, the number of prescribers participating in the delivery of pharmacotherapy treatment, and quantitative information about the prescribing sector. As such, national information on pharmacotherapy, on a snapshot day each year, can be reported.

Collection details
Variables to support reporting and linkage
  • Age (Date of birth)
  • Sex/gender
  • Indigenous status
  • SA2

Temporal coverage 

from 30/6/2004 to 30/6/2024

Geographical coverage

National and State

Data availability

  • Publications
  • Summary tables published in electronic form
  • Statistics

Client specified tables on request which may be subject to data provider approval (charges apply).

Unit records are not available.

Data scope 

The collection covers the provision of opioid pharmacotherapy treatment, the practitioners who prescribe the treatment, the dosing sites who dispense the pharmacotherapy drugs, and the clients receiving the opioid pharmacotherapy treatment. The following pharmacotherapies are currently recommended for the treatment of opioid dependency:

  • Methadone hydrochloride (Methadone Syrup® and Biodone Forte Solution®) 
  • Buprenorphine (Subutex®) 
  • Buprenorphine/ Naloxone (Suboxone®), 
  • Buprenorphine as long acting injections (Buvidal® and Sublocade®).

Methodology 

Official

Metadata information and data quality statement (DQS)

National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection 2024; Quality Statement

(METEOR 804529)

External links and information

National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection 2025

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2023-24

Contact 

[email protected]