Hon Barry House questions the WA Health Department regarding the two-day limit for missed buprenorphine doses and the requirement for patients to see a doctor again before receiving further medication. The response justifies the guideline based on patient safety and alignment with national best practice.

AnsweredQoN 1276Legislative Council
Asked
14 October 2003
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the use of buprenorphine to treat narcotic addicts and ask -
(1) Is it a fact that any patient who misses their buprenorphine dosing for two days in Western Australia has to see their doctor again before getting another dose from their pharmacist?
(2) If so, why is the WA Health Department guidelines only two days?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
11 November 2003
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Response time
28 days
(2) This guideline aims to ensure patient safety. WA Guidelines conform to the National Clinical Guidelines and Procedures for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Heroin Dependence . The National Guidelines were developed by a National Expert Advisory Group to the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs and reflect what is known to be best practice in pharmacotherapy treatment.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more