Pharmacotherapy
There are several medications (pharmacotherapies) used to treat dependence on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. These pharmacotherapies can be prescribed for a short, medium or long-term duration, depending on the person’s goals.
In the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS), only episodes where pharmacotherapy was either an additional treatment, or where it was the main treatment with an additional treatment provided, are included. Episodes where pharmacotherapy was the main treatment only and no additional treatment was provided are excluded. Pharmacotherapy is only available to people receiving treatment for their own drug use. As most pharmacotherapy services are outside the scope of the AODTS NMDS, the data presented here are a substantial under‑representation.
More information on opioid pharmacotherapy treatment provided in Australia is presented in the National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data report (NOPSAD). The latest data from the National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics indicate that on a snapshot day in 2025, around 57,740 people received pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence (AIHW 2026).
For services in scope of the AODTS NMDS in 2024–25:
- Pharmacotherapy accounted for 1.7% (4,222) of episodes for a client’s own alcohol or drug use.
- Of these episodes, 43% (1,799) reported pharmacotherapy as an additional treatment (tables Trt.3, Trt.54).
Client profile
In 2024–25, 2,962 clients received pharmacotherapy for their own alcohol or drug use:
- 7 in 10 (70%) were male.
- 2 in 3 (64%) were aged 30–49 and 15% were aged 50 and over.
- 1 in 5 (18%) were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people (tables SC.18–20).
Treatment profile
In 2024–25, for pharmacotherapy episodes for a client’s own alcohol or drug use:
- Half (53%) of episodes lasted over 3 months, of which 1 in 4 (25%) lasted over 12 months.
- 1 in 5 (19%) of episodes lasted 2–29 days.
- Pharmacotherapy episodes most commonly involved heroin (49%) or alcohol (14%) as the principal drug of concern (tables Trt.55, Trt.59).
AIHW (2026) National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 27 May 2026.