Weaning plans at heart of new opioid care standard The guidelines, the first national clinical care standard for prescription opioid use in acute care, are designed to minimise the risks of harm.
Study finds statin intolerance overestimated and overdiagnosed Fewer than 10% of patients prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs experience side effects, according to the world’s largest study on statin intolerance.
HANDI site ‘more complete’ with new patient resources The new resources complement existing resources within HANDI and are aimed at helping GPs provide non-drug intervention-based care.
Why HANDI resource is underutilised Patients and doctors could both benefit from greater adoption of non-drug interventions, writes Professor Paul Glasziou.
Opioid treatment study ‘may impact’ future Australian guidelines Results from a clinical trial of extended-release buprenorphine injections reveal high retention and treatment satisfaction.
Wastewater reveals record high drug consumption New Australian data shows a spike in overall drug use at the height of the pandemic, but opioid use is down.
Is there hidden trauma behind strict drug laws? Dr Hester Wilson raises concerns over the ‘drugs are bad’ mentality, when there is a proven harm-minimisation approach.
Top experts call for major new coalition on non-medical pandemic research The best successes against the ever-growing coronavirus pandemic have so far not come from drugs or vaccines, but from behavioural and social techniques.
Melbourne to get second safe-injecting room The news follows a review of the city’s first facility, though questions remain as to the choice of a site near the busy Queen Victoria Market.
Remdesivir and COVID-19: What GPs need to know It has become the first therapy for COVID-19 to receive FDA approval for emergency use – but evidence of its effectiveness remains mixed.