165354 - Long term use of opioids and its consequences

This workshop will update attendees on diagnosing and managing patients with Opioid use disorder. Presenter will also provide information on iatroigenic opioid dependence, commencing MAT for patients and how to determine suitability for take-away doses.

Doctors have managed addiction to opioids with substitution medications since the 1960s, and currently around 41 000 Australians are part of opioid pharmacotherapy programs. The primary care sector is an integral part of the treatment of alcohol and other drug disorders, including opioid dependence. While the numbers of heroin dependent Australians may have fallen since the estimated 74 000 at the end of the last century, an increase in amounts of opioids prescribed for persisting pain disorders means the recognition and management of opioid dependence should be an essential skill for general practitioners.