Login / Signup

Opioid-related ambulance attendances during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia.

Michael McGrathMark StarePhyllis ChuaRowan P OgeilZiad NehmeDebbie ScottDaniel I Lubman
Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) (2023)
Strict COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, Australia appear to have resulted in a substantial reduction in heroin-related ambulance attendances, perhaps because of border closures and restrictions on movement affecting supply, changing patterns of drug consumption, and efforts to improve access to OAT. Despite policy changes allowing longer OAT prescriptions and an increased number of unsupervised doses, we found no evidence of increased harms related to the extra-medical use of these medications.
Keyphrases
  • healthcare
  • coronavirus disease
  • sars cov
  • public health
  • chronic pain
  • emergency department
  • drug induced
  • quality improvement