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Methadone‐related deaths in New South Wales
Author(s) -
Sunjic Sandra,
Zador Deborah
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1997.tb138713.x
Subject(s) - service (business) , population , citation , health services , medicine , library science , family medicine , law , political science , business , environmental health , marketing , computer science
To the Editor: Anecdotal reports of diversion of methadone syrup to the "black market" have engendered concern about the safety of methadone maintenance programs in New South Wales. There is little information currently available on methadone-related deaths. As part of a larger study into opiaterelated deaths in New South Wales in 1992,1 we reviewed the coronial files for all deaths attributed to methadone to ascertain sociodemographic characteristics, drug-use history, toxicological findings, form of methadone and route of administration. We also inspected the records at the Pharmaceutical Services Section (PSS) of the New South Wales Department of Health to determine if persons were registered with a methadone program and if they had been prescribed methadone syrup for chronic pa in or heroin dependence and, in the case of methadone tablet deaths, whether the person had had an authority from the PSS for ongoing prescription. Of 25 cases of methadone-related deaths (13 % of all opiate-related deaths for 1992), 15 (60%) were attributed to methadone syrup and eight (32%) to methadone tablets. In two cases, the form of methadone could not be determined. Deaths related to methadone tablets were not significantly different from deaths related to methadone syrup. Most deaths were in men (76%) who were single (56 %) and unemployed (76%) and had a mean age of 30 years (range, 17-53 years) . Family and friends reported a high level of drug use among those who tralians. Summary statement of the 115th session of the NHMRC, 2 June 1993, regarding revision of the 1987 (103rd session) guidelines for lead in Australians. Canberra : AGPS, 1993. 3. World Health Organization. Recommended health-based limits in occupationa l exposure to heavy metals. Technical Report Series 647. Geneva: WHO, 1980. 4. Worksafe Australia. Control of inorganic lead at work. National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC): 1012. National Code of Practice for the Control and Safe Use of Inorganic Lead at Work. NOHSC: 2015. Canberra: AGPS, 1994. 5. State of California Department of Health Services, Occupational Health Program. Prevenl lead poison ing belore it poisons your business. California: National Automotive Radiator Service Association, 1994. Q