Introduction

Opioid pharmacotherapy is one of the main treatment options for dependence on opioid drugs, such as heroin and morphine. Treatment involves replacing the opioid drug of dependence with a legally obtained, longer-lasting opioid. In Australia, clients attend dosing point sites (for example, pharmacies) regularly to take the dose of their prescribed medication under the supervision of a pharmacist or other health professional.

Clients who receive pharmacotherapy treatment can be captured in various data sources. The two national sources presented in this report are:

Due to the specifications of these collections, it is not possible to directly compare or identify people who received pharmacotherapy treatment via dosing point site as well as treatment from a publicly funded alcohol and other drug (AOD) service (see notes for more details). However, exploring this information in parallel can provide a more detailed picture about pharmacotherapy treatment in Australia.

Previous page
Next page