A risk-based approach to community illicit drug toxicosurveillance: operationalisation of the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia – Victoria (EDNAV) project

Original research
par
Syrjanen, Rebekka et al

Date de publication

2023

Géographie

Australia

Langue de la ressource

English

Texte disponible en version intégrale

Non

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

Non

Évalué par des pairs

Yes

L’objectif

The Emerging Drugs Network of Australia – Victoria (EDNAV) project is a newly established toxicosurveillance network that collates clinical and toxicological data from patients presenting to emergency departments with illicit drug related toxicity in a centralised clinical registry. This paper describes the overarching framework and risk-based approach developed within Victoria to assess drug intelligence from EDNAV toxicosurveillance.

Constatations/points à retenir

A total of 1112 patient presentations were documented in the EDNAV Clinical Registry, with 95 signals of concern entered into the EDNAV Risk Register over the two-year study period. The eight examples examined in further detail included suspected drug adulteration (novel opioid adulterated heroin, para-methoxymethamphetamine adulterated 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)), drug substitution (25B-NBOH sold as lysergic acid diethylamide, five benzodiazepine-type new psychoactive substances in a single tablet, protonitazene sold as ketamine), new drug detection (N,N-dimethylpentylone), contamination (unreported acetylfentanyl) and a fatality subsequent to MDMA use. A total of four public Drug Alerts were issued over this period.

La conception ou méthodologie de recherche

Data are obtained from a network of sixteen public hospital emergency departments across Victoria, Australia (13 metropolitan and three regional). Comprehensive toxicological analysis of a purposive sample of 22 patients is conducted each week, with reporting of results to key alcohol and other drug stakeholders.

Mots clés

Hospitals
Drug checking