TY - JOUR
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Australia/epidemiology
KW - Catchment Area (Health)
KW - Drug Prescriptions/statistics & numerical data
KW - Heroin Dependence/drug therapy
KW - Humans
KW - Methadone/therapeutic use
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Narcotics/therapeutic use
KW - Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data
AU - E. Hotham
AU - A. Roche
AU - N. Skinner
AU - B. Dollman
A1 - 
AB - As prescribers of opioid pharmacotherapies, general practitioners (GPs) are pivotal to the sustainability of opioid pharmacotherapy treatment services. The goal of this study was to examine the nature and sustainability of the Australian GP prescriber workforce in order to inform future programmes and policy development in this area. Data were collected from four Australian states: South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. Key features of the available data were: a heavy client load carried by a small number of prescribers, a high proportion of trained but inactive prescribers, and a high proportion (one-third to two-thirds) of medical practitioners who undertake training but do not take up prescribing, i.e. a high attrition rate. Available data indicate significant shortfalls in the number of prescribers available in each state to service this patient population. Across all states a relatively small number of prescribers were providing services for the majority of methadone clients. In order to achieve sustainable, high quality prescriber service provision, workforce development strategies are needed which focus on recruitment of new prescribers, and the support and retention of existing and inactive prescribers. Establishment of systematic and detailed data collection systems should also be considered a priority.
BT - Drug and Alcohol Review
C5 - Education & Workforce
CP - 5
CY - England
DO - 10.1080/09595230500286013
IS - 5
JF - Drug and Alcohol Review
N2 - As prescribers of opioid pharmacotherapies, general practitioners (GPs) are pivotal to the sustainability of opioid pharmacotherapy treatment services. The goal of this study was to examine the nature and sustainability of the Australian GP prescriber workforce in order to inform future programmes and policy development in this area. Data were collected from four Australian states: South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. Key features of the available data were: a heavy client load carried by a small number of prescribers, a high proportion of trained but inactive prescribers, and a high proportion (one-third to two-thirds) of medical practitioners who undertake training but do not take up prescribing, i.e. a high attrition rate. Available data indicate significant shortfalls in the number of prescribers available in each state to service this patient population. Across all states a relatively small number of prescribers were providing services for the majority of methadone clients. In order to achieve sustainable, high quality prescriber service provision, workforce development strategies are needed which focus on recruitment of new prescribers, and the support and retention of existing and inactive prescribers. Establishment of systematic and detailed data collection systems should also be considered a priority.
PP - England
PY - 2005
SN - 0959-5236; 0959-5236
SP - 393
EP - 400
EP - 
T1 - The general practitioner pharmacotherapy prescribing workforce: Examining sustainability from a systems perspective
T2 - Drug and Alcohol Review
TI - The general practitioner pharmacotherapy prescribing workforce: Examining sustainability from a systems perspective
U1 - Education & Workforce
U2 - 16298833
U3 - 10.1080/09595230500286013
VL - 24
VO - 0959-5236; 0959-5236
Y1 - 2005
ER -