Did you know that methadone take away doses are currently being reviewed in Victoria

The Victorian Coroners are suggesting that Victoria adopt the Tasmanian methadone take away dose policy which is a maximum of two, non consecutive take away doses per week.  This will have a significant impact upon people's quality of life.  It will also impact upon employers, the families and partners of people who rely upon a methadone treatment program.

Methadone is one of the best evidenced tools for reducing opioid related deaths and it's continued accessibility is vital to ensuring the health and safety of opioid dependent people and the general community.

Please join this campaign: https://www.change.org/p/dr-denis-napthine-and-hon-mary-wooldridge-mp-i-ask-that-you-continue-the-current-victorian-pharmacotherapy-policy-allowing-up-to-5-methadone-take-away-doses-per-week?recruiter=162572074&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Clinician Corner - Drug and Alcohol Review Update

Text message reminders improve patient attendance according to a review of the evidence conducted by Joanna Milward and colleagues^†, now available on Drug and Alcohol Review’s Early View.

Patients who miss their appointments are at risk of poorer outcomes. Missed appointments are costly for services and can result in valuable resources being wasted.

Forgetfulness is one of the most common explanations for missed appointments. Text message appointment reminders are a cost-effective intervention that has been shown to dramatically improve attendance in health-care settings. Text message reminders are often generic but they can be personalised, for example, by including the person’s name. Reminders need to be sent within a week prior to the appointment, with most reminders being sent 1, 2 or 3 days in advance.

The effectiveness of using text message reminders has not been explored in substance use services. However, surveys suggest that the majority of clients have mobile phones and are receptive to communicating via text messages. One potential barrier to communicating via text is the frequency with which some clients change their mobile phone number.

To read more visit the full paper on Early View.
A complimentary PDF of the article is available to APSAD members by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A reminder that APSAD members can view the Drug and Alcohol Review online, dating back to the very first issue, simply by logging into the Member's area on the APSAD Website.

^†Milward J, Lynskey M, Strang J. Solving the problem of non-attendance in substance abuse services. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014 [Epub ahead of print].

Call for Mentors

APSAD has recently formed an Early Career Researchers (ECR) Committee, which is focused on linking ECRs with senior researchers, and providing networking opportunities. The ECR group is open to APSAD members and currently to non-members.

Drug and Alcohol Review Update

Drug and Alcohol Review a new virtual issue is available on ‘Managing methamphetamine dependence: interventions and beyond’. This virtual issue brings together papers on pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and community-based interventions for methamphetamine use.

Click here to view on the Wiley Online Library 

Registration NOW open for the APSAD Early Career Researchers Breakfast

The National Drug and Alcohol Services Directory (NDASD)

New Website Directory 

Allows users to run easy and comprehensive searches for Alcohol and Other Drug services anywhere across Australia. The project is a collaboration between the Commonwealth Department of Health, Turning Point and Monash University, and is a really useful resource for anyone looking to link in with an Alcohol or Other Drug treatment service in Australia. This includes individual service users, primary health providers, community and public service providers, GPs and other health professionals.

Visit the NDASD directory 

APSAD Conference Early Bird Registration is Now OPEN

For further details or to register for the conference please visit our conference website: www.apsadconference.com.au 

The Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA)

The Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA) has released their final report today on the case for minimum price for alcohol.

You can download the PDF from their website

Call to join the IDHDP

Join IDHDP in calling for health based drug policies

INTERNATIONAL DOCTORS FOR HEALTHIER DRUG POLICIES

IDHDP is a global network of medical doctors supporting drug policy based on health.

HDP aims:

•Protect society and the individual from drug related death and disease

•Public health instead of criminal justice

•Improve access to essential medicines

•Expand access to evidence based treatment

Opportunity for doctors:

 March 2016 will see the UN General Assembly Special Session (“UNGASS”) on the “World Drug Problem.” Before then there will be many opportunities to ensure health is high on the agenda. By joining IDHDP you will be helping a lot.

By joining IDHDP you will be adding your voice to a growing number of physicians calling for health based drug policies

Join at www.idhdp.com

Membership is free, easy and open to all medical doctors. By joining you will receive our comprehensive newsletter and updates on policies from all over the world.

 Follow us on Twitter @idhdp

Physicians globally unite for health based drug policy

APSAD YouTube Channel

2013 APSAD CONFERERENCE 

Keynote presentations now available to view on APSAD's YouTube Channel!

More to come in the following weeks

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