Page 4566 - Week 12 - Thursday, 26 October 2017
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with the Northern Territory (NT) and Tasmania (TAS)) has not had the increase in fentanyl deaths experienced in other states.
Table 4: Increase in deaths due to fentanyl, pethidine and tramadol, by jurisdiction, 2001-05 VS. 2011-15
|
2001-2005 |
2011-2005 |
ratio | |
|
ACT, NT, TAS |
7 |
19 |
- |
|
QLD |
11 |
212 |
19.3 |
|
NSW |
25 |
233 |
9.3 |
|
VIC |
23 |
153 |
6.7 |
|
SA |
15 |
72 |
4.8 |
|
WA |
21 |
107 |
5.1 |
|
Australia |
102 |
796 |
7.8 |
For the ACT, TAS and NT deaths associated with fentanyl (and also includes deaths from tramadol and pethidine) increased from 7 deaths in 2001-2005 to 19 deaths in 2011-2015. The increase in ratio of deaths (the Ratio) as outlined in Table 4 for ACT/NT/TAS was not outlined in the report. ACT Health calculated the Ratio to be 2.7. The Ratio nationally is 7.8, with Queensland experiencing the highest increase with the Ratio of 19.3.
The ACT and TAS over this period have implemented new drugs and poisons information systems (DAPIS) allowing each jurisdiction’s health departments to better monitor the supply of controlled medicines for potential misuse, abuse and/or division.
ACT introduced new regulations and the Controlled Medicines Prescribing Standards (the Standards) in September 2016 to improve the ACT’s regulatory framework for minimising harms with controlled medicines prescribing, such as fentanyl. The Standards include criteria for prescribing opioids for chronic pain and for opioid maintenance treatment. The standards have been well received by prescribers and assist their prescribing of opioids to patients.
2. No. Fentanyl does not have marketing approved in Australia to treat opioid dependency.
3. The ACT is currently reviewing its opioid maintenance treatment guidelines with a view to adopting the 2014 National Guidelines for Medication-Assisted treatment of Opioid Dependence (the National Guidelines). The National Guidelines do not reference or recommend fentanyl as a treatment option for treatment of opioid dependency.
4. No, the Penington Institute has not been consulted.
5. No. Consultation with the Penington Institute is not required assuming the ACT adopts the National Guidelines. The Penington Institute responded to the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs analysis of arrangements and changes to the opioid maintenance therapy provisions in the National Guidelines during their development in 2014.
Local stakeholders including the ACT Opioid Treatment Advisory Committee are being consulted as part of the ACT’s current review of local opioid maintenance treatment guidelines.
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