Acamprosate (Campral) patient-client information
PDF 86 KB
If a patient is alcohol dependent and they want to reduce or stop drinking, the use of medications as part of an overall treatment strategy enhances the likelihood of success.
1. Assess likelihood of withdrawal and consider appropriate treatment.
Visit the Management of substance withdrawal page for more information.
2. Three medications are available in Australia for assisting abstinence from alcohol:
Acamprosate and naltrexone:
Disulfiram:
The Pharmacotherapies indicated for alcohol dependence (PDF 17KB) factsheet describes what each of these medications does, when to start treatment, the term of the treatment, side effects, contraindications and precautions.
For information about the effectiveness of different medications in relapse prevention, see DASSA Monograph No. 26: Pharmacotherapies for relapse prevention in alcohol dependence (PDF 4830KB)
Clients can be referred to the Medication-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence page for more information about drug treatment and how it works,
Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS).
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 8.30 am to 10.00 pm 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.