-
The secret behind fake bipolar disease in children
ABC News, 5/11/12: “…Columbia University researchers found a 40-fold rise in office visits among youth diagnosed with bipolar disorder between 1994-95 and 2002-3.” In 1995, a new wind began blowing across the psychiatric landscape. The public wasn’t aware of it. But among professionals, it was big, very big. Children, including the very young, could, for […]
-
An Evening With Manuel Cardoso – The Man Who Helped Reform Portugal’s Drug Policy
There was a big turn-out on rainy Sydney evening for drug law reform meeting. Tuesday 5th June 2018. St Stephen’s Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney, for “An evening with Manuel Cardoso – the man who helped reform Portugal’s drug policy”. The take-home message to get through to our politicians: decriminalisation is now proven to save lives, money […]
-
Medical postcard from New York, April 2016
Dear Colleagues, I can report that spring has sprung in New York. After a cold start, April has seen a wonderful transition from winter bareness to a colour-wheel of splendid blossoms, bulbs and canopy greenery. Easter was early this year and so were the cherry blossoms which are at their peak over a week before […]
-
MedsASSIST May Prove To Be A Useful Long Term Monitoring Tool
The MedsASSIST system, designed to monitor pharmacy sales of codeine products, has reached the stage of progressing to stage two of a pilot, involving approximately 150 pharmacies in the Newcastle and North Queensland regions. The system is being introduced because government was intending to reschedule codeine to schedule 4 (prescription only) status. Addiction to prescription […]
-
US Increases Naloxone Access to Combat Opioid Overdose Epidemic
In response to the increase in opioid overdose-related deaths, United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced the agency’s plan to increase access to naloxone in rural communities and expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Burwell announced the plan at a conference including representatives from the 50 states and Washington, DC, […]
-
The Power of One
I came across a story regarding a police initiative to combat the escalating prescription opioid abuse that is affecting communities in the US (and Australia) and which is causing family destruction and tying up unnecessary police resources at a very high cost for government. The story is really quite inspirational and may have application within Australia, […]
-
Medical Postcard from New York, April 2015
Dear Colleagues, It has been my privilege again to spend a month in Manhattan learning about American developments in alcohol and drugs issues as well as passing on some of the Australian experience. My main mission in New York this year concerned our current plague of stimulant use in Australia and whether there were any […]