An investigation of pharmaceutical drug misuse and harms among drug treatment clients in Victoria, Tasmania, West Australia and Queensland

This project is a multisite study involving Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland. The study is being co-ordinated by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in Melbourne. The project involves qualitative and quantitative interviews with 100 drug treatment clients (in each state) who acknowledge use of pharmaceutical drugs (benzodiazepines and opioids) in the past six month and interviews with key informants experienced in illicit drug treatment. A random selection of client case notes will be accessed and interpreted by an addiction expert from Turning Point for problems associated with drug treatment and the concomitant use of illicitly obtained pharmaceutical drugs.