On 7 September, nearly 100 stakeholders from across Australia gathered at Parliament House in Canberra for the National Consensus for Action Forum on Opioid Dependence Treatment. The forum brought together people with lived and living experience, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, service providers, professional bodies, community organisations and government representatives to develop a shared national vision for the future of opioid dependence treatment in Australia.
There was a strong spirit of collaboration, mutual respect and a strong commitment to improving access, quality, equity and sustainability across the Opioid Dependence Treatment Program (ODTP). Building on months of preparatory work, including the national webinars and consumer-led consultation, participants worked through key areas for reform and refined a consensus statement designed to guide future advocacy and system improvement.
The outcome was remarkable. Following structured discussion and consensus-building activities, 94% of participants indicated support for the final statement, with the remaining 6% indicating "maybe" and no participants indicating opposition. This overwhelming level of support reflects an unprecedented level of alignment across sectors and provides a powerful mandate for action.
The consensus statement identifies priority areas for reform spanning clinical care, workforce development, treatment accessibility, funding and commissioning arrangements, service quality, stigma and discrimination, consumer involvement, guideline development, and national policy leadership. Together, these priorities establish a practical roadmap for strengthening opioid dependence treatment and ensuring Australians can access high-quality, evidence-based care regardless of where they live.
Importantly, the forum was not the end of the conversation. It marks the beginning of a coordinated national effort to translate consensus into action. The statement provides APSAD and our partners with a strong platform to advocate for policy reform, contemporary clinical guidelines, workforce investment, improved treatment access, and greater inclusion of lived and living experience voices in decision-making.
Over the coming months, APSAD will work with partner organisations, governments, clinicians, researchers and consumer representatives to advance the priorities identified through the consensus process. The challenge now is to maintain the momentum generated in Canberra to achieve meaningful change for opioid dependence treatment.
The strong consensus achieved at Parliament House demonstrates that despite differing perspectives and experiences, there is broad agreement on the reforms needed to strengthen Australia's opioid treatment system. APSAD looks forward to working with stakeholders across the sector to ensure this shared vision becomes a catalyst for lasting clinical, policy and systems change.
To support a shared understanding of key challenges and reform opportunities, a series of three webinars were held in the lead-up to the forum. These webinars are available for viewing HERE.