Wastewater-based evaluation of the efficacy of oxycodone regulations in Australia.
Rory VerhagenCobus GerberThai Ha PhiJason P ConnorBill LovedayRichard BadeJake William O'BrienEmma L JaunayBradley S SimpsonGary Chung Kai ChanWayne Denis HallKevin V ThomasJochen F MuellerBenjamin J TscharkePublished in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) (2024)
A 45% reduction in oxycodone consumption in Australia from 2019 to 2020 coincided with national policy changes that aimed to reduce consumption of prescription opioids. The overall declining trend in consumption was suggestive of the effectiveness of national interventions in reducing pharmaceutical opioid use. Wastewater-based epidemiology provides an effective approach for assessing the effectiveness of controlled substances policy changes.