Australia has an overarching framework for drug policy: harm minimisation. Harm minimisation involves policies and practices in three areas: supply reduction (reducing the supply of drugs through border control and policing), demand reduction (reducing the demand for drugs through prevention, early intervention and treatment) and harm reduction (reducing the harms associated with drug use without a precondition of ceasing or reducing use).
City of Melbourne commissioned Burnet and Monash Addiction Research Centre to undertake the ‘Drug Harm Reduction in the City of Melbourne’ project. The Future Melbourne Committee meeting (Nov-2023) resolved to improve naloxone access in response to the increase in opioid overdoses in the municipality. This report presents an overview of overdose response strategies; findings from a literature review; roundtable discussion summary; and recommendations for improving opioid-related overdose response.
The accumulated global evidence suggests that supervised injecting facilities play a significant role in preventing drug-related deaths and associated harm. Evidence shows how supervised injecting facilities can address health and social challenges associated with drug dependence, benefiting both individuals and communities at large. Evidence presented in this document demonstrates a clear need for a new facility in Melbourne's CBD.
The National Naloxone Reference Group (NNRG) has created an infographic to present up-to-date information on take home naloxone access across Australia. This resource will be updated each time the NNRG meets, roughly every two months.
Letter to the Minister for Health and Aged Care concerning the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidised Take Home Naloxone (THN) Pilot.
The purpose of NNRG is to bring together key stakeholders from each state and territory in Australia involved in take home naloxone distribution strategies in Australia.
Results from the fourth round of the NSP Snapshots Study - Results from Access Health St Kilda, Carrington Health and CHOPER Box Hill, North Richmond Community Health, cohealth Braybrook, Healthworks Footscray, and Star Health Prahran
Results from the third round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Access Health St Kilda, Carrington Health and CHOPER Box Hill, North Richmond Community Health, cohealth Braybrook and Healthworks Footscray
Results from the third round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Access Health St Kilda
Results from the third round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Carrington Health and CHOPER Box Hill
Results from the third round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from North Richmond Community Health
Results from the third round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from cohealth Braybrook and Healthworks Footscray
The National Naloxone Reference Group (NNRG) has created an infographic to present up-to-date information on take home naloxone access across Australia. This resource will be updated each time the NNRG meets, roughly every two months.
Results from the second round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Access Health St Kilda, Carrington Health and CHOPER Box Hill, North Richmond Community Health, cohealth Braybrook and Healthworks Footscray
Results from the second round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Access Health St Kilda.
Results from the second round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Carrington Health and CHOPER Box Hill
Results from the second round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from North Richmond Community Health
Results from the second round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from cohealth Braybrook
Results from the second round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Healthworks Footscray
Results from the first round of the NSP Snapshots Study - results from Access Health St Kilda and Healthworks Footscray.
The Salvation Army commissioned Burnet Institute to gather data on its 24-hour needle and syringe program (NSP) in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. Uniquely in Victoria, the St Kilda NSP is funded to run a staffed service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has been in operation with this model for over 10 years.
Setting the scene: Trends in opioid overdoses attended by Ambulance Victoria - Dr Debbie Scott - Strategic Lead, Population Health Research, Turning Point; Senior Research Fellow, Monash University
The Melbourne Medically Supervised Injecting Room: Another piece of the puzzle in reducing overdose deaths - Sarah Hiley - Harm Reduction Practitioner Team Leader, Medically Supervised Injecting Room, North Richmond Community Health
Peer-led overdose response work and broader peer perspectives - Sione Crawford - Executive Officer, Harm Reduction Victoria
Addiction stigma and the production of impediments to take-home naloxone uptake - Dr Renae Fomiatti - Research Officer, National Drug Research Institute
Naloxone supply and overdose prevention in mainstream healthcare services - Associate Professor Suzanne Nielsen - Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre (MARC)
Take-home naloxone: Insights from existing international models - Dr Stephen McNally, Deputy CEO, Penington Institute
Setting the scene: Trends in opioid overdoses attended by Ambulance Victoria - Dr Debbie Scott - Strategic Lead, Population Health Research, Turning Point; Senior Research Fellow, Monash University
The Melbourne Medically Supervised Injecting Room: Another piece of the puzzle in reducing overdose deaths - Sarah Hiley - Harm Reduction Practitioner Team Leader, Medically Supervised Injecting Room, North Richmond Community Health
Peer-led overdose response work and broader peer perspectives - Sione Crawford - Executive Officer, Harm Reduction Victoria
Addiction stigma and the production of impediments to take-home naloxone uptake - Dr Renae Fomiatti - Research Officer, National Drug Research Institute
Naloxone supply and overdose prevention in mainstream healthcare services - Associate Professor Suzanne Nielsen - Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre (MARC)
Take-home naloxone: Insights from existing international models - Dr Stephen McNally- Deputy CEO, Penington Institute
CREIDU PhD Completion Report_Winter
PhD Completion Report - Dr Rachel Sacks-Davis
PhD Completion Report - Dr Dhanya Nambiar
PhD Completion Report - Dr Danielle Horyniak
PhD Completion Report - Dr Renae Fomiatti
PhD Completion Report - Dr Joseph Doyle
PhD Completion Report - Dr Maryam Alavi
Pharmacy Guild's pamphlet on how to respond to an opioid overdose, including information on minijets and ampoules.
Penington Institute Resource on Naloxone Ampules. More resources available here: http://www.copeaustralia.com.au/resources/
CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Ms Jane Dicka: The DOPE Project - where's it been and where's it going?
CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Dr Suzanne Nielsen: "Scaling up community pharmacy supply of naloxone"
CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Professor Paul Dietze: "Naloxone supply in the short, medium and long term: Implications for take-home naloxone programs in Australia"
CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Professor Nicholas Lintzeris: "Translating take-home naloxone from a good idea to mainstream practice across drug and alcohol, Needle and Syringe Program and peer worker settings in New South Wales"
CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Mr Crios O'Mahony: "The COPE program: Getting naloxone into the hands of potential overdose witnesses across Victoria"
Online training module on diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of people with chronic hepatitis C infection.
The consensus statement was prepared by an expert panel representing the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (Australian Liver Association), the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine, the Australasian Hepatology Association, Hepatitis Australia and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Mr John Ryan, Penington Institute, Australia
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Dr Eliot Ross Albers, Executive Director of the International Network of People Who Use Drugs
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Ms Kirsten Horsburgh, National Naloxone Coordinator, Scottish Drugs Forum, Scotland
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Professor Alexander Thompson, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Australia
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Professor Andrew Lloyd, University of New South Wales, Australia
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Professor Kate Dolan, University of New South Wales, Australia
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Ms Larissa Strong, Department of Justice & Regulation, and Mr Rod Wise, Corrections Victoria, Australia
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Mr John Ryan, Penington Institute, Australia
CREIDU Colloquium 2015 - Ms Carol Nikakis, Victorian Association for Care and Resettlement of Offenders, Australia
Scotland’s National Naloxone Programme: The Scottish Prison Service provision of naloxone-on-release
Ms Kirsten Horsburgh, National Naloxone Coordinator, Scottish Drugs Forum, Scotlan
Program for the 2015 CREIDU Colloquium, Oct 12: Prisons: Opportunities and challenges towards improving the health of people who inject drugs
Prisons: Opportunities and challenges towards improving the health of people who inject drugs
CAHMA, WASUA, Harm Reduction Vic and QUIHN have combined to put together a three part workshop showcasing peer-based naloxone and overdose prevention training specifically for drug and alcohol workers.
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Professor Gregory Dore, Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia.
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Professor Frederick L. Altice, Yale University, USA.
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Dr Nicolas Clark, World Health Organization, Switzerland
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Mr Jack Wallace, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, Australia.
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Dr Niklas Luhmann, Médecins du Monde, France.
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Professor Andrew Lloyd, University of New South Wales, Australia.
2014 CREIDU Colloquium presentation by Professor Peter Vickerman, University of Bristol, England.
The information in this factsheet has been provided by Hepatitis Australia to assist media in providing balanced reporting on hepatitis C and related issues which is respectful to people affected by hepatitis C.
Flyer for the CREIDU Satellite Symposium at AIDS 2014 - Controversies in treatment as prevention among people who inject drugs
Flyer for the CREIDU Colloquium - HIV and hepatitis C treatment as prevention in people who inject drugs: The promise, the pitfalls and the public health benefits.
This letter acknowledges the recommendations stemming from the North Richmond Public Injecting Impact Study. The Council supports or has taken action across all thirteen recommendations.
This Call to Action was prepared by the World Health Organisation after the Global Partners' Meeting on Hepatitis (Convened by WHO in March 2014 in Geneva). The WHO believes this is a powerful tool to raise the visibility of viral hepatitis globally and to demonstrate shared commitment.
Information flyer for record-linkage Seminar on June 30, 2014.
This informative booklet from Hepatitis NSW provides a guide to long term hepatitis C health outcomes, treatments and liver care. It is intended for use by people affected by hepatitis C and their GP, liver specialist or treatment CNC (Clinical Nurse Consultant).
This EMCDDA report presents the findings of a literature review to identify the most frequently occurring patterns of use and their relation to harm in users of opioids, powder and crack cocaine, and meth/amphetamine.
A new formulation of the opioid analgesic OxyContin is replacing existing Australian stocks of the medication from April 1, 2014. The new formulation is designed to prevent injecting. This fact sheet (thanks to Sydney's Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, AIVL and WASUA) includes some brief harm reduction information for individuals, family members and workers.
Article by Dunn, McKay and Iverson
Issue of Psychology and AIDS Exchange Newsletter addressing some of the complex and evolving mental health needs of older adults living with HIV. Includes introduction by Timothy G. Heckman.
To provide healthcare professionals with timely guidance, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in collaboration with the International Antiviral Society-USA (IAS-USA) have developed a web-based process for the rapid formulation and dissemination of evidence-based, expert-developed recommendations for hepatitis C management.
CDC has numerous fact sheets on hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis in special populations. Many of the fact sheets are available in other languages. There is a complete list of all available fact sheets that is updated whenever new fact sheets or translations are added.
CDC has multiple hepatitis posters available for ordering at no cost. Some posters are available in other languages.
This report provides CDC guidance for persons working, training, or volunteering in health-care settings who have documented HepB vaccination years before hire or matriculation.
Professor John Strang, Head of the Addictions Department, King’s College London presented at the 2013 CREIDU Colloquium focusing on injecting related harms. Click below to see his excellent presentation.
Nicole Wiggins, Manager of the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy presented at this year's annual Colloquium on "Implementing an Expanded Naloxone Availability in the ACT Training Program".
Carrie Fowlie, Executive officer of the Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Association ACT, spoke at our 2013 Annual Colloquium on the experience of implementing expanded naloxone availability in the ACT, detailing the barriers, enablers and how other jurisdictions can begin to expand availability of naloxone right now.
Assoc. Professor Ingrid van Beek presented at this year's Colloquium on "Targeted primary health care- a foundation to reduce injecting-related harms". She covers the story of the Kirkton Road Centre, a primary health care facility established in Sydney in 1987, involved in the prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS and other transmissible infections among ‘at risk’ young people, sex workers and people who inject drugs.
Kaspian Fitzpatrick, Community Health Worker, and Emily Carey, Community Health Nurse, presented at this year's CREIDU Colloquium on injecting related harms and injuries seen at Health Works, a primary health service in the wetern suburbs of melbourne for people who inject drugs.
Jenny Kelsell, Executive Officer from harm Reduction Victoria, presented at this year's CREIDU Colloquium on injecting related injuries and diseases from a drug user perspective.
Download the recent report on research conducted by the Burnet Institute in partnership with the Yarra Drug and Health Forum, the City of Yarra, and North Richmond Community Health Centre, and funded by the Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use (CREIDU), into the impact of public injecting in Melbourne's inner suburbs. The report details the methodology, main findings and 13 key recommendations to address the issue.
Click below to download copies of slides presented by Professor Michael Levy at the "Prisoner Health is Public Health" Symposium in 2012.
Click below to download copies of slides presented by Professor Tony Butler at the "Prisoner Health is Public Health" Symposium in 2012.
Click below to download copies of slides presented by Associate Professor Stuart Kinner at the "Prisoner Health is Public Health" Symposium in 2012.
Click below to download copies of slides presented by Professor Lisa Maher at the CREIDU 2012 Colloquium "What’s New in Viral Hepatitis and Injecting Drug Use".
Click below to download copies of slides presented by Professor Frederick Altice at the CREIDU 2012 Colloquium "What’s New in Viral Hepatitis and Injecting Drug Use"
This article, published in Prevention Research Quarterly (an Australian Drug Foundation publication) covers trends in and consequences of heroin and other opioid use in use, and contemporary approaches to the issue. Click below to download the article from the ADF website.
Internationally-renowned Professor Thomas Kerr from the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS was the Keynote Speaker for the CREDIU Colloquium "Improving Drug Policy & Practice Through Research" in July 2011. Professor Kerr presented on harm reduction efforts in Vancouver, Canada. Follow this link to watch his fascinating 40-minute presentation.