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Methadone regional outreach workers
Page content: Target group | Key service requirements | More information
One Methadone Regional Outreach Worker, employed by specialist drug treatment services, has been appointed in each of the three rural regions to support and enhance the role of trained GPs in encouraging, recruiting and retaining opiate dependent persons in treatment and ultimately assisting in an effective withdrawal.
Target group
- Prescribers and dispensers of drug substitute pharmacotherapies.
- Clients using drug substitute pharmacotherapies.
- Families of clients using drug substitute pharmacotherapies.
Key service requirements
- To enhance the use of a variety of drug substitute pharmacotherapies.
- To improve client access to, and the effectiveness of, drug substitute pharmacotherapies by supporting and enhancing the role of trained generic medical practitioners to encourage, recruit and retain opiate dependent persons in treatment and ultimately assisting an effective withdrawal.
- To develop partnerships between drug treatment services, general practitioners and Divisions of General Practice in order to develop local or sub-regional strategies for enhancing the use of the variety of substitute pharmacotherapies based on the specific needs of the locality.
- To monitor new developments in substitute pharmacotherapies and develop changing modes of operation to suit the emerging drug substitutes.
- To provide an outreach service to general practitioners and pharmacists providing information and advice and facilitating the referral of clients to drug treatment services.
- To develop shared care arrangements by enhancing general practitioners’ understanding of the interventions available in the drug treatment services system and the range of approaches that can be used in dealing with drug users and their families.
- To encourage greater involvement of generic medical practitioners and pharmacists in treating those with drug problems through promoting the prescribing and dispensing of drug substitute pharmacotherapies as an effective means of treatment for some clients.
- To provide assessment, counselling and referral for clients using substitute pharmacotherapies to drug treatment services and general health and welfare services.
More information
For information and contact details of all drug treatment services, call the 24 hour telephone service DirectLine on 1800 888 236.
Or you can search for an agency in your area on the Better Health Channel.
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