The following fact sheets and other clinical information may assist health professionals in the treatment of alcohol and other drug related presentations in a general practice setting

• Acamprosate in alcohol dependence
• Benzodiazepine withdrawal
• Heroin withdrawal
• Heroin withdrawal precipitated by Naltrexone
• Management of alcohol use disorders: withdrawal care
• Management of cannabis use
• Management of stimulant use
• Naltrexone in alcohol dependence
• Naltrexone in heroin dependence

Alcohol

• Alcohol withdrawal – general (includes link to CIWAar Observation schedule)
• Alcohol withdrawal – inpatient (includes link to CIWAar Observation schedule and SA Health acute hospital guideline)
• Alcohol withdrawal – outpatient (includes link to CIWAar Observation schedule)
• Next Steps Self Help Guide - drinking diary for clients
• Alcohol dependence medicines (including information on naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram as well as patient information sheets)
• AUDIT – screening tool for assessing risk associated with alcohol use. Useful for brief interventions or as a first step towards addressing patients alcohol issues.
• eASSIST - screening tool to help identify alcohol and other drug use, the degree of risk associated with use and provide personalised feedback for change.
  

Amphetamines

• Amphetamine withdrawal management

Benzodiazepines

• Benzodiazepine withdrawal management (including link to benzodiazepine dose equivalent chart, link to CIWA-b Withdrawal Observation Chart)

Cannabis

• Cannabis withdrawal management

Gamma hydroxyl butyric acid (GHB)

• GHB withdrawal management
  

Opioids

• Opioid withdrawal management includes:
  • Inpatient management of people on methadone or Suboxone for opioid dependence admitted to hospital plus COWS (Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale)
  • Inpatient management of people withdrawing from unsanctioned (illicit or prescribed) plus COWS (Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale)
  • Outpatient opioid withdrawal management

• Commencing patients on Suboxone for opioid dependence (PDF 199KB)
• Prescribing medications for opioid dependence - Training for GPs
• Drugs of Dependence Unit opioid dependence treatment authority application form (PDF 2.2MB)
• Opioids in management of chronic, non-cancer pain (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2013)

• Managing people with regular over the counter codeine use (PDF 1.2MB)
• Interim Brief clinical guidelines for use of depot buprenorphine (Buvidal® and Sublocade®) in the treatment of opioid dependence in South Australia (PDF 835KB)

Substance misuse and dependence

• Detailed information on how to refer eligible patients to DASSA can be found on the SA Health website
• Referral to DASSA community clinics including country counsellors (PDF 90KB)
• DASSA Adelaide metropolitan community clinic catchments (PDF 125KB)

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 1300 13 1340

A confidential telephone counselling, information and referral service.

(Available 8.30am-10pm, 7 days for SA callers only).