Background: Long-acting injectable depot buprenorphine has become an important treatment option for the management of opioid dependence. However, little is known about patients' experiences of depot buprenorphine and its embodied effects. This qualitative study aims to explore patients' experiences of depot buprenorphine treatment, including how it feels within the body, experiences of dosing cycles across time, and how this form of treatment relies on wider ecologies of care beyond the clinical encounter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) use and attributable harms have been increasing in Australia, however changes over time, including the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions on harms requiring an ambulance attendance, are unknown. This study utilised a novel population-based surveillance system to identify the types of GHB-related harms between January 2018 and 31 December 2021 in Victoria, Australia.
Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of all GHB-related ambulance attendances between January 2018 and 31 December 2021 in Victoria, Australia was undertaken.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has added gaming disorder to ICD-11 as a clinical condition associated with distress or interference with personal functioning. This inclusion leads to clinical and public health benefits, such as harmonising terminology, offering clinical landmarks and improving monitoring capabilities and data comparability. Training health professionals to identify and manage gaming disorder is a key challenge for countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAust J Gen Pract
September 2020
Background: Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an illicit drug commonly used in music festival, party and 'chemsex' settings. Most people who use GHB do so occasionally, without dependent use or withdrawal symptoms. However, a minority of users experience harms including unconsciousness and respiratory collapse in overdose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction And Aims: People with substance use problems frequently present to mainstream health services with a variety of health issues. However, many medical and allied health-care providers feel under-equipped to respond to this population. We describe the Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS), an established 24/7 telephone-delivered model of addiction specialist consultation, and examine recent call data to identify drug use issues for which health practitioners seek support.
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