Determining the Impact of Opioid Policy on Substance Use and Mental Health-Related Harms: Protocol for a Data Linkage Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Increasing harms related to prescription opioids over the past decade have led to the introduction of a range of key national and state policy initiatives across Australia. These include introducing a mandatory real-time prescription drug-monitoring program in the state of Victoria from April 2020 and a series of changes to subsidies for opioids on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme from June 2020. Together, these changes aim to influence opioid supply and reduce harms related to prescription opioids, yet few studies have specifically explored how these policies have influenced opioid prescribing and related harms in Australia.

Objective

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of a range of opioid-related policies on hospital admissions and emergency departm

SUBMITTER: Xia T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10618880 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature