Enhancing Pharmacist Involvement in Care in Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence – An implementation project in regional Victoria

Investigators: Professor Suzanne Nielsen, Dr Ali Cheetham.

There is a need to expand access to Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) in Victoria, particularly in regional areas where workforce shortages and travel distances can create barriers to treatment.

The EPIC-MATOD project has developed a collaborative model of care for MATOD where prescribers delegate regular clinical reviews, dose adjustments, and treatment oversight to a trained and accredited pharmacist working within a treatment plan. A pilot study in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne found that collaborative care was feasible and acceptable, and provided a high standard of care. Work is now underway to support national scale-up of the model through a separate implementation study. 

In the current project, the EPIC-MATOD model will be implemented in three regional areas of Victoria. To support sustainability beyond the trial, local supports will be identified with the capacity to provide training and resources to pharmacists using a train-the-trainer approach.

Project Funders: Victorian Department of Health