Victoria's pill testing trial

Why we need pill testing

The Victorian Pill Testing Service aims to reduce drug harm and save lives.

Victoria has seen a rise in drug-related emergency department admissions and overdose deaths involving novel synthetic drugs.

About half of Australian adults have used drugs at some point in their lives. With new and highly potent drugs circulating, the risk of harm and overdose is increasing.

Pill testing can detect life-threatening substances and reduce potential harms by giving people the information they need to make safer and informed decisions.

Victoria's approach to harm reduction puts people's health and safety first.

Evidence shows that pill testing doesn't encourage people to use drugs. It allows people to see what's really in their substances.

Victoria's pill testing service trial

Victoria's pill testing trial started during the 2024-25 music festival season with a mobile service. The service supported more than 1500 people and tested close to 1400 samples across 5 events:

• Beyond the Valley Festival
• Hardmission
• Pitch Music and Arts Festival
• Ultra
• The Warehouse Project

The service's focus on harm reduction is working. For 65% of service users, it was the first time they had ever spoken to a health professional about drug and alcohol safety. More than 30% said they would take a smaller amount after having this conversation. Two statewide drug advisories were also issued to the public following the detection of highly potent and unexpected substances with unpredictable effects.

For mobile pill testing service reports, see The Loop Australia.

The mobile service will attend up to 10 festivals and events during the 18-month implementation trial.

Fixed site pill testing service in Fitzroy

The Victorian Pill Testing Service is due to open a fixed site service in Fitzroy by August 2025.

The service at 95 Brunswick Street, is close to public transport, nightlife, community health and social services.

The free, confidential and anonymous pill testing service will be open to all. This means more Victorians can access year-round testing, health and harm reduction advice.

The fixed site service will initially operate as a 12 month trial, with the service operating on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Opening hours will be finalised closer to the launch of the service.

About the pill testing service

The pill testing service is staffed by chemists, who analyse samples, and trained harm reduction workers, who provide tailored information and support to help people make more informed and safer choices.

The service is a safe space for people to ask questions and get help without judgement.

A consortium of 3 trusted and experienced organisations are delivering Victoria's first pill testing service. It consists of lead service provider Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS), The Loop Australia and Harm Reduction Victoria, with support from Youth Projects, Melbourne Health, and Metabolomics Australia (University of Melbourne).

For more information about the consortium, see Victorian pill testing service, YSAS.

Changes to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 provides protections for the services, for its staff, and for its clients – so no one is breaking the law by operating or using the pill testing service.

The service is a key part of Victoria's strategy to reduce drug harms and save lives. It adds to initiatives underway in the Statewide Action Plan.

What to expect at a pill testing service

Not all substances are what they seem. Pill testing helps people see what's really in their drugs, so they can make more informed and safer choices.

The pill testing service is free, confidential and anonymous.

At the pill testing service, people are asked to provide a small sample of their drugs. This is usually a tiny scraping of a pill or a bit of powder that a chemist will analyse.

The drug checking technology at services can test the make-up of most pills, capsules, powders, crystals, or liquids and identify substances such as dangerous synthetic opioids, like fentanyl and nitazenes. It cannot test organic substances.

A harm reduction worker provides the test results and offers tailored advice. This includes information about potential risks and how the drug may interact with prescription medications and existing health conditions.

For many, this will be the first time they've had a chance to talk openly with a health professional about drug use in a private, judgement-free space.

Research shows pill testing services work to reduce harm

Pill testing isn't a new idea – it's a proven one. With more than 30 drug checking programs operating around the world, we have seen the impact of using both fixed-site and event-based models.

Data from these services and those operating in other Australian jurisdictions shows pill testing works to reduce harms from illicit drugs.

Research includes:

• A 2023 evaluation of the Australian Capital Territory drug checking service, CanTEST, revealed only 53% of substances tested matched the expected drug. For those where an additional drug, a different drug or an inconclusive result was found, one-third reported that they 'definitely will not' use the drug.¹
• A study at English festivals found the rate of onsite medical incidents and hospitalisations from accidental drug harm is significantly lower at festivals that provide pill testing services compared to those that don’t.²
• Police and medical services at a UK festival attributed a 95% decrease in drug-related hospital admissions to pill testing services.³
• In a 2022 study, 86% of consumers in Portugal and 69% in the UK didn’t consume the drug when test results indicated the drug was different than expected.⁴

While the trial seeks to save lives, reduce drug harm, and improve public health, it also aims to reduce pressure on frontline services and enhance Victoria's drug monitoring capabilities.