Pharmacotherapy
For: Adults
Available in: North East Metro
Providing people who are dependent on opiates or alcohol with the medical, pharmaceutical and counselling support they need to safely reduce or stop their substance use.
About the program
Without medical supervision and support, opiate withdrawals can be incredibly painful. Moreover, withdrawals from high levels of alcohol use can be fatal. Our program helps people who are dependent on opiates or alcohol to decrease or stop their usage safely.
Our extended team provides access to medical, pharmaceutical and counselling support, including using legally prescribed substitute drugs to help participants make the changes they want to make – they can work towards stability or ceasing their use of opiates or alcohol completely.
The service is delivered via our partnership with Next Step Drug and Alcohol Services through the North East Metro Community Alcohol and Drugs Service (NEMCADS). We also partner with St John of God’s Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network (DAWN), which provides home-detox programs. Both services are co-located at Holyoake’s NEMCADS site in Midland.
How it works
To access Pharmacotherapy through NEMCADS, participants need to:
- Attend a brief assessment over the phone or in person. If the person is using opiates or alcohol at dependent levels, they will be placed on the waitlist for a medical assessment through Next Step.
- Attend a medical assessment. This is with a doctor or nurse practitioner and a clinical nurse and can take up to two hours.
Our team will explain the participant’s options, including pharmacotherapy, inpatient detox and the option to reduce their use of opiates or alcohol in the community.
If pharmacotherapy is the chosen option, the participant will begin treatment. Anyone accessing pharmacotherapy through Next Step can also access counselling and will be offered this as a part of their treatment plan.
Where appropriate, participants will be referred to the Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network (DAWN) for a Home-Based Detox, if they’re assessed as suitable by the DAWN nurse.
For more information or to make a referral to our Pharmacotherapy program, please call 08 9274 7055 or email NEMCADS@holyoake.org.au