Provision of a remote telehealth opioid substitution therapy clinic

Background: Patient demand for alcohol and other drugs services currently far outstrips the capacity of the sector, a challenge that becomes more pronounced in regional and rural areas where specialist services are minimal. Here we describe a telehealth-based opioid substitution therapy (OST) clinic, established in partnership with several Victorian health services. This model has enabled residents of a regional Victorian city to access previously unavailable therapy.

Implementation: With local coordination, the clinic has reviewed and commenced 23 patients on OST, all via telehealth consultations with Addiction Medicine Specialists based remotely.

Conclusion: The clinic’s preliminary successes in supporting patients to commence or maintain OST locally demonstrate an innovative solution and a model where patients living in regional and rural areas have similar access to OST as their metropolitan counterparts.

Sarah Garry | Addiction Medicine Registrar, cohealth

Sarah Garry is an addiction medicine registrar based between cohealth Innerspace in Collingwood and Western Health in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. As part of the team at cohealth innerspace, they are working to support those in the community to access treatment with a key focus on harm minimisation.

Dean Membry | Addiction Medicine Specialist, cohealth

Dean is an Addiction Medicine Specialist who has worked, for over a decade, in primary care services designed to meet the health needs of people who inject drugs. He has extensive experience in prescribing opioid agonist therapy, blood borne virus screening and treatment as well as the many physical and psychological conditions that are commonly seen in people who inject drugs.

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