The NSW drug summit report has the potential to reshape addiction treatment in the state, according to the RACGP.
The report from the long-awaited NSW drug summit may not mention general practice in many places, but GPs will be among the first to feel the effects should the state push forward with reforms.
The summit itself was held in Sydney in December 2024, and garnered criticism from participants when it emerged that drug decriminalisation had been taken off the table before the day even began.
Last week, co-chairs Carmel Tebbutt and John Brogden – both former state-based politicians – released their final report from the event, outlining 56 priority actions across 12 topics.
Topics included funding models, stigma and discrimination, workforce, harm reduction and the criminal justice system.
Priority actions included expanding the peer workforce, immediately implementing drug-checking services at music festivals and providing police officers with naloxone to counter opioid overdoses.
The sole priority action that specifically named general practice was expanding access to opioid substitution treatment and improving the integration with primary care, which includes increasing the number of GPs who prescribe opioid substitution treatments.
“General practice doesn’t play a big part [in the recommendations] specifically, but the things that will really have an impact on general practice are the commitment to increasing the workforce for alcohol and other drug services,” RACGP addiction medicine deputy chair Dr Marguerite Tracy told The Medical Republic.
“That’s going to make a huge difference – if we’re seeing people in our practices with alcohol and other drug issues, we’ll have somewhere to refer people to, to support what we’re already doing in general practice.
“That makes a huge difference to the families of individuals who have issues with drugs and alcohol.
“[The college is] also really keen on the commitment to drug checking and the commitment to access take home naloxone.”
Related
The possibility of additional supervised injecting rooms was also raised.
While there was no recommendation specifically calling for an expansion of the service, the report did call for the removal of legislative barriers that limit the number of supervised injecting centres to the one premises in Kings Cross.
It noted that substantial community consultation would be required before establishing another centre.
“When [the supervised injecting room] opened in Kings Cross, we saw a lot of people being referred for treatment … and accessing other services as well,” Dr Tracy said.
“If we’re fortunate enough to have other medically supervised injecting and consumption centres – perhaps outside of Kings Cross and further west in Sydney and certainly in regional, remote and rural areas – that’s going to mean more people with the possibility of getting referral into treatment.
“General practice is very much part of that pathway.”
Dr Tracy urged the NSW government to keep GPs in the loop as any reforms are rolled out.
The NSW state government has not formally responded to the report yet.
