Drug and alcohol review
-
Drug and alcohol review · Nov 2018
Understanding an emerging treatment population: Protocol for and baseline characteristics of a prospective cohort of people receiving treatment for pharmaceutical opioid dependence.
Despite large increases in pharmaceutical opioid dependence and related mortality, few studies have focused on the characteristics and treatment experiences of those with pharmaceutical opioid dependence. We describe the formation of a prospective cohort of people receiving treatment for pharmaceutical opioid dependence and describe their baseline characteristics. ⋯ This study describes the complexities in an important emerging treatment population of pharmaceutical opioid-dependent people. Findings highlights that addressing knowledge and perceptions around treatment may be critical to address the rising mortality associated with pharmaceutical opioid dependence.
-
Drug and alcohol review · Aug 2018
Comparative StudyAlcohol taxes' contribution to prices in high and middle-income countries: Data from the International Alcohol Control Study.
Taxation is increasingly being used as an effective means of influencing behaviour in relation to harmful products. In this paper we use data from six participating countries of the International Alcohol Control Study to examine and evaluate their comparative prices and tax regimes. ⋯ There is considerable variation in tax systems and prices across countries. There is scope to increase taxation and this analysis provides comparable data, including the percentage of tax in final price, from some middle and high-income countries for consideration in policy discussion.
-
Drug and alcohol review · May 2018
Naloxone rescheduling in Australia: Processes, implementation and challenges with supply of naloxone as a 'pharmacist only' over-the-counter medicine.
Numerous studies and systematic reviews have concluded that naloxone for take-home use is an effective intervention to reduce overdose morbidity and mortality, with few side effects and no abuse potential. One barrier to supply is that naloxone has traditionally been a prescription medication. In May 2015, the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia announced the intention to down-schedule naloxone when used for the treatment of opioid overdose, enabling sale in pharmacies without a prescription. The aim of this article is to describe process of rescheduling of naloxone and some of the challenges observed. ⋯ Naloxone down-scheduling has opened up an additional way to supply naloxone through community pharmacy. Further expansion of naloxone availability may be achieved through addressing cost as a barrier, and making naloxone more widely accessible through needle syringe programs, and other services that do not have medical staff.
-
Drug and alcohol review · Apr 2018
Cannabis use among two national samples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco smokers.
There is a concern that cannabis use is an important barrier to reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking. We investigate the associations of cannabis use and tobacco smoking and quitting in two large national samples. ⋯ We did not find consistent evidence in this setting that cannabis use is an obstacle to quitting tobacco smoking. Nevertheless, we would still recommend that clinicians counselling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco smokers about quitting talk about cannabis use because its use is common and almost all mix it with tobacco.