CONSIDERED one of Australia's most urgent public health crises, opioid-related harm is the central theme in the latest issue of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA)'s flagship organ the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (JPPR).
Prompted by recommendations in the SHPA's Reducing opioid-related harm report published last Nov (PD 26 Nov), the JPPR includes a special article on the subject as well as research articles, reviews and reports on hospital discharge opioid guidelines, sustainedrelease subdermal buprenorphine implants to manage opioid use disorder, and administration of oxycodone--naloxone and systemic opioid antagonism and harm.
SHPA Chief Executive Kristin Michaels said the focus on opioids was a fitting reflection of the issue's importance to hospital pharmacists and the acutely unwell Australians in their care.
"Through meticulous research and stakeholder consultation -- including the inaugural Medicines Leadership Forum in Jul 2018 -- we now have unprecedented insight into the post-surgery risk factors that can lead to opioid dependence in different patient populations.
"This year SHPA looks forward to conversations with consumers, government and pharmacy, medical and nursing stakeholders to mitigate and reduce the alarming prevalence of opioid-related harm through the 33 recommendations of our Nov 2018 report."
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