Tuesday, 15 October 2019

In reply to  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15 August 2019)

Mr FOLEY (Albert Park—Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Equality, Minister for Creative Industries):

This young man’s family contacted me recently and shared his poem with me. My thoughts are with all his family and friends for their terrible loss.

Alcohol and other drug problems—including those that result in overdose—are complex, affecting not just individuals but their families, their friends and their communities.

This is why, in 2019-20, the Government is investing a record $273.1 million in drug services, representing an increase in investment of 65 per cent through the last five State Budgets.

Pharmacotherapies such as methadone and buprenorphine are highly effective treatments for opioid dependence, and therefore a key part of this Government’s investment. We want to maximise the life-saving potential of pharmacotherapy.

The potential listing of new Long Acting Injectable Buprenorphine pharmacotherapy provides an opportunity to look at how new clinical products can be incorporated into existing pharmacotherapy services to support more people to successfully engage with harm reduction services.

These new treatment pathways and medications highlight the need to keep assessing new evidence for all treatment options for drug dependence, like hydromorphone.

We also need to minimise barriers to treatments that are already known to be effective. This includes advocating to the Commonwealth to remove systemic cost barriers by eliminating uncapped daily dispensing fees for methadone and buprenorphine and treating pharmacotherapy like all other subsidised medicines.

We will never stop working to reduce the harm drugs cause in communities across Victoria. We will never stop working to help individuals and families to tackle addiction, and ensure our community is safe.