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In Australia, greater than 40,000 persons are imprisoned on daily basis. Greater than half of those folks expertise drug dependancy, together with dependancy to heroin or opioids.
For folks launched from jail, there may be an elevated danger of preventable demise from drug overdose.
Burnet researchers, in partnership with Western Well being, led a consortium that has developed suggestions for the usage of opioid agonist remedy in custodial settings.
The examine, titled “National consensus statement on opioid agonist treatment in custodial settings,” was printed within the Medical Journal of Australia on March 3.
Opioid agonist remedy is used to deal with heroin dependancy. It reduces drug use and drug-related harms, together with the probability of contracting infectious ailments, and the danger of overdose.
The examine makes 19 suggestions to the federal government, related well being authorities and custodial well being providers about how and when opioid-agonist remedy must be supplied in jail settings and the way folks can stay on the remedy after they’re launched from jail.
Opioid-agonist remedy helps folks handle their cravings. It additionally reduces the danger of drug overdose as a result of it permits the physique to take care of opioid tolerance.
One of many examine’s lead authors, Dr. Jocelyn Chan, mentioned the remedy lowered harms for individuals who inject medication who have been incarcerated.
“People who have regularly been using opioid drugs can go into withdrawal when they are incarcerated, which can be painful and dangerous,” she mentioned.
“Early identification of people who use drugs at the time of incarceration is important so they can start receiving this treatment as soon as possible.”
Opioid withdrawal contributed to the 2020 demise in custody of Aboriginal lady Veronica Nelson.
Key suggestions from the examine embody immediate recognition and remedy of opioid withdrawal and connection to community-based remedy suppliers on launch.
The suggestions, formulated based mostly on a rigorous proof overview, have been agreed to by the Nationwide Jail Dependancy Drugs Community, a panel of specialists in well being care and jail settings, together with some with lived expertise, throughout varied states in Australia.
Dr. Chan mentioned the remedy allowed folks to progressively scale back their dependence on opioid medication.
“Opioid agonist treatment helps sustain the body’s tolerance to the drugs so that if people use drugs again once they’re released from prison, they are less likely to overdose, which is a leading cause of death among people released from prison,” she mentioned.
“When proper support networks have been established once the person has been released from prison, they will gradually be able to come off the treatment.”
Dr. Chan mentioned the rules would enhance remedy for individuals who inject medication who have been incarcerated.
“Implementing these recommendations will enhance the quality, consistency, and continuity of opioid-agonist treatment for people who are incarcerated, both while they are in prison and once they are released,” she mentioned.
“We know anecdotally that this treatment is difficult to access, but more research is needed to find out exactly how many people are receiving the treatment in prison settings and how many more need it.”
Extra info:
Jocelyn Chan et al, Nationwide consensus assertion on opioid agonist remedy in custodial settings, Medical Journal of Australia (2025). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52603. www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/22 … t-custodial-settings
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Suggestions to be used of opioid-agonist remedy in prisons (2025, March 3)
retrieved 3 March 2025
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