Clinical Case Webinars
Monthly case-based discussions providing a continuing learning environment on clinical matters related to prescribing methadone or buprenorphine pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence.
Register for one of our upcoming webinars or view previous session recordings.
Upcoming Webinars
Join us for our next OTAC Clinical Case Webinar on Tuesday 20th June as we look at the Role of SafeScript NSW with OAT.
In this webinar, we will be discussing the role of SafeScript NSW for health professionals who provide patients with opioid agonist treatment (OAT). This will include an overview of SafeScript NSW complemented by OAT-related cases using how SafeScript may be used to inform your practice.
Leading the session is Stephen Ling, Nurse Practitioner in Drug and Alcohol at John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England LHD. Stephen is also a Clinical Analyst for the Real Time Prescription Monitoring Program with eHealth NSW.
We encourage you to put a case forward for the webinar on a clinical challenge that you may have experienced when providing OAT healthcare. You can do so by submitting a clinical case prior to the webinar.
2023 Webinars
In this session, we discuss the common clinical challenges that you may experience when providing clinical care to people who are prescribed opioid agonist treatment pharmacotherapies.
This session, held in May 2023, was led by Prof Paul Haber, Head of Specialty of Addiction Medicine, University of Sydney & Clinical Director of Sydney Local Health District Drug Health Services. Prof Haber is also the academic lead of the OTAC Program. Four cases are presented to highlight key clinical considerations, with cases related to a patient in prison, a patient with few medial record details, a routine clinical appointment, and a positive urine drug screen.
NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of
Opioid Dependence
Hard copies of the guidelines can be requested from:
moh-populationhealthresources@health.nsw.gov.au
In this session, we discuss a range of sedating substances and how they can impact on OAT, how can we best manage patients on OAT who are also using sedating substances, and how to manage patients on OAT with polysubstance use.
Leading this session was Dr Rowena Penafiel, Advanced Trainee in Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Addiction Medicine at Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District. Joining in the conversation included over 70 attendees for this session, alongside Dr Sharon Reid, Medical Officer & OTAC Clinical Academic Advisor, and Mr Daniel Winter, OTAC Coordinator, both from the University of Sydney Specialty of Addiction Medicine & Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District.
Webinar Resources
Download presentation slides (PDF)
NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of
Opioid Dependence
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- Benzodiazepine use – illicit and prescribed
- Assessment for people with benzodiazepine use
- Strategies for benzodiazepine management (Table 25)
- Situations that influence treatment planning (polydrug use, chronic pain)
- Chronic and acute pain management
- Key drug interactions (Table 27)
- Other drug interactions
- Responding to continued substance use
- Assessments for people on opioid agonist treatment
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Hard copies of the guidelines can be requested from:
moh-populationhealthresources@health.nsw.gov.au
Clinical Guidelines for depot buprenorphine (Buvidal® and Sublocade®) in the treatment of opioid dependence
Other Resources
- SafeScript NSW is a clinical tool that provides prescribers and pharmacists with real time information about their patient’s prescribing and dispensing history for monitored medicines
- Clinician Advice Line is a free 24/7 clinical telephone advice service has been established to support prescribers and pharmacists. Assistance includes access to clinical advice for addiction medicine, pain management and mental health, safe de-escalation of high doses of benzodiazepines and opioids, and appropriate management and referral to other clinical services where required.
- Drug & Alcohol Specialist Advisory Service (DASAS) assists health professionals seeking advice about the diagnosis and treatment of patients with alcohol or drug issues in NSW, and is a free service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In this session, we discuss key the challenges you may come across when transferring a patient to buprenorphine pharmacotherapies for treating opioid dependence, including highlighting the potential role for microdosing transfers. What are the options for buprenorphine transfers and initiation? What factors can complicate initiation onto buprenorphine and how do we manage them?
Leading this session was Dr Chris Tremonti, Addiction Specialist and Clinical Pharmacologist at St Vincent’s Drug and Alcohol Services. Joining in the conversation included over 75 attendees for this session, alongside Dr Sharon Reid, Medical Officer & OTAC Clinical Academic Advisor, and Mr Daniel Winter, OTAC Coordinator, both from the University of Sydney Specialty of Addiction Medicine & Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District.Webinar Resources
Webinar Resources
Download presentation slides (PDF)
NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of
Opioid Dependence
Hard copies of the guidelines can be requested from:
moh-populationhealthresources@health.nsw.gov.au
Clinical Guidelines for depot buprenorphine (Buvidal® and Sublocade®) in the treatment of opioid dependence
2022 Webinars
This webinar topic was on switching between & within OAT pharmacotherapies, facilitated by: Dr Joshua Watt, Dr Sharon Reid, Mr Daniel Winter, of the Specialty of Addiction Medicine, University of Sydney & Sydney Local Health District Drug Health Services. This session was recorded on Tuesday 22nd November 2022.
In this webinar, we discuss what clinicians should consider when transferring a patient between methadone, sublingual buprenorphine or depot buprenorphine pharmacotherapies. Within the discussion we reflect upon clinical considerations that may impact on medication choice, including common pitfalls, patient preference, and patients who may be pregnant.
Webinar Resources
Download presentation slides (PDF)
NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of
Opioid Dependence
Hard copies of the guidelines can be requested from:
moh-populationhealthresources@health.nsw.gov.au
Clinical Guidelines for depot buprenorphine (Buvidal® and Sublocade®) in the treatment of opioid dependence
This webinar topic was on OAT takeaway connundrums, facilitated by: Prof Paul Haber, Dr Sharon Reid, Mr Daniel Winter of the Specialty of Addiction Medicine, University of Sydney & Sydney Local Health District Drug Health Services. This session was recorded on Tuesday 6th September 2022.
In this webinar, we discuss the clinical conundrums to consider around providing takeaways to a patient on OAT. What are the risks and benefits of providing takeaways? What should you do if you need to consider going outside the guidance for takeaways? We also ask the audience what their experiences have been in providing takeaways to patients, or what challenges that they have faced in their clinical practice.
Webinar Resources
Download presentation slides (PDF)
NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of
Opioid Dependence
Hard copies of the guidelines can be requested from:
moh-populationhealthresources@health.nsw.gov.au