Information Sharing - NSW Health & DoCS - Opioid Treatment - Responsibility - Children Under 16

Summary
This protocol facilitates the sharing of information between the NSW Department of Health's Pharmaceutical Services Branch (PSB), opioid treatment prescribers and DoCS child protection casework staff concerning persons who are registered to receive opioid treatment (methadone or buprenorphine).
Information shared under this protocol is intended to assist DoCS to assess the risk of harm to children that arises due to their potential exposure to methadone or buprenorphine that is dispensed to registered opioid treatment clients so that the appropriate child protection responses may be initiated, where necessary.
The NSW Department of Health and DoCS have key roles in ensuring that DoCS child protection casework staff are adequately informed about the benefits and risk of standard treatments for opioid dependence and are able to obtain accurate information from prescribers to assist with assessment of risk of harm to children where concerns are reported in relation to opioid dependent persons.

Date of Publication: 22 November 2006

Replaces: N/A
Author Branch: Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office

This document applies to: Area Health Services/Chief Executive Governed Statutory Health Corporation, Community Health Centres, Divisions of General Practice, NSW Dept of Health, Public Hospitals

Audience: Medical prescribers, drug & alcohol practitioners with authority to prescribe opioid treatment

Distributed to: Public Health System, Community Health Centres , Divisions of General Practice, NSW Department of Health, Public Hospitals

Review Date: 22 November 2010

File No: 05/8736-2

Status: Active

File link: Information Sharing - NSW Health & DoCS - Opioid Treatment - Responsibility - Children Under 16
File size: 64Kb