Community Pharmacy Program
DASSA Community Pharmacy Program SA. Community Pharmacy training, policies & guidelines on medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence.
South Australia has approximately 3000 people prescribed methadone liquid or buprenorphine with naloxone in film form (Suboxone®) to assist with the management of their opioid dependence.
Approximately two thirds of these patients are managed by community prescribers - the majority of these are general practitioners (GPs).
Prescribing medications for opioid dependence is not complicated, however, there are some specific issues around the medications themselves, and about caring for people with opioid dependence that need to be considered when prescribing this treatment.
In South Australia a medical practitioner does NOT need to be accredited to prescribe buprenorphine with naloxone in film form for up to ten patients for opioid dependence.
Medical practitioners need to obtain a Section 18A Controlled Substances Act 1984 (SA) authority (PDF 185KB) from the SA Health Drugs of Dependence Unit prior to prescribing a drug of dependence for the treatment of opioid dependence. This authority must be obtained before treatment commences.
The Drugs of Dependence Unit can be contacted on 1300 652 584 Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.
The following resources provide further information about prescribing this drug.
This document can be used as a checklist of steps to be taken when patients are being initiated into medication assisted treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone®)
Additional clinical resources are provided below.
A medical practitioner must become ACCREDITED if they wish to:
OR
For more information go to SA - MATOD Prescriber training and education page or contact the GP Program Project Coordinator: (08) 7425 5045.
Email: HealthDASSAGPProgram@sa.gov.au
Please contact the GP Program Project Officer for copies of the following resources on (08) 7425 5045 or email: HealthDASSAGPProgram@sa.gov.au
Accredited prescribers only:
To be used by both accredited and non-accredited prescribers.
To obtain the legally required Section 18A Controlled Substance Act 1984 (SA) authority to prescribe a drug of dependence for the treatment of opioid dependence, an initial application form must be filled in on both sides, signed by the prescriber and patient and faxed to the Drugs of Dependence Unit (DDU) at 1300 658 447. Then telephone DDU on 1300 652 584 (office hours) who will provide the authority number which can be written on the prescription.
DACAS provides a telephone and email service for South Australian health professionals seeking clinical information and clarification around clinical procedures, guidelines and evidence-based practice.
Telephone: (08) 7087 1742 from 8:30am — 10pm 7 days/week including public holidays or e-mail your enquiry to:
HealthDACASEnquiries@sa.gov.au.
Out of
these hours, medically urgent calls from a hospital based Medical
Consultant or country hospital medical officer/GP will always receive a
response.
This service does not provide proxy medical cover and
cannot assume responsibility for direct patient care.