So far, only a few patients have been able to obtain lawful medicinal cannabis, and only after a long and difficult struggle.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst
St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, is a world-class public teaching hospital founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1857. St Vincent’s was founded on the principles of compassion, care and respect for all people and these ethical tenets are still the driving force behind its philosophy and methodology.
Links
Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 articles
Methadone is used mainly to treat dependence on heroin, but also other prescription drugs. It is sometimes used to treat severe chronic pain.
Heroin was used medically in Australia for coughs and pain relief until 1953.
With legislation for medicinal cannabis having been passed by the federal parliament, what do we do now about drug-driving laws?
This week minister for health Sussan Ley tabled amendments to our drugs act to allow the growth of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes.
With use of drugs such as ice on the rise, drug consumption rooms are now being set up in Europe to provide supervised inhalation.
In 1967, the Beatles took out a full-page advertisement in The Times describing Britain’s marijuana laws as “immoral in principle and unworkable in practice”. Almost half a century later, both past and…
International acceptance of medicinal cannabis is growing because it can provide relief for people who can’t be sufficiently helped with current pharmaceutical drugs. But despite growing evidence of its…
It’s now almost two years since ACT chief minister and minister for health, Katy Gallagher, launched Australia’s first program to distribute naloxone to prevent heroin overdoses. Other states have followed…
A NSW Parliamentary Committee has recommended legalising the use of medical use of marijuana for people with terminal conditions. This is an approach that should be embraced nationally. For some years…
A sudden reduction in corporate profits has blown a $12 billion hole in the federal budget. This development should spark a debate within and outside government about how we deal with illicit drugs in…
Many Australians believe that there isn’t much we can do about our dangerous levels of alcohol consumption. But the real difficulty is that we don’t know how to get effective prevention policies through…
Once again, overdose deaths from opioids are increasing in Australia. And once again, we are in danger of ignoring effective, evidence-based interventions. According to the National Drug and Alcohol Research…
Australia21, of which I am one of the directors, released its second report on drug prohibition on this morning. The report calls for a redefinition of how we deal with drugs to primarily a health and…
The announcement yesterday by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher to establish a needle exchange in the ACT’s Alexander Maconochie Prison is historic. Politicians need votes like the rest of us need oxygen…
For some time now, all the departments of health in Australia have based their policy on male circumcision on reviews of the scientific literature carried out periodically by the Royal Australasian College…
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released its annual report of the methadone and buprenorphine treatment programs operated by the states and territories today. On census day – June…
Most of the avalanche of publicity around Australia 21‘s launch of their report on drugs was quite favourable. The report called for vigorous community debate but was careful to avoid recommending any…
It’s official – the so-called War on Drugs has failed. A report released by thinktank Australia21 in parliament today makes it clear that not only has it failed miserably, but that political elites around…
Consumption of slow-release prescription opioids has been increasing in Australia for about two decades. Now, the federal government has said it will set up a new $5 million national electronic records…
