From: Estimating the number of people who inject drugs in Australia
Benchmark dataset | Indicator | Outcome of multiplier search | |
---|---|---|---|
New South Wales-specific datasets | Pharmaceutical Drugs of Addiction System | Number of people in opioid substitution therapy at July 1, 2014 (also available from National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data Collection) | Multiplier data available from Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey |
Needle and Syringe Program data | Number of needles and syringes distributed by public needle and syringe programs and pharmacies in NSW, 2014 | Data related to number of needle and syringe units distributed rather than individuals accessing needles and syringes. A two-step estimation process that used published data to construct a benchmark number of people accessing needle and syringe programs, followed by standard multiplier method, produced implausibly low estimates | |
Re-offending Database | Number of persons proceeded against for use/possess amphetamine, cocaine or narcotics, 2014 | Unable to identify suitable multiplier (arrested/charged with use/possess amphetamine, cocaine or opioids in the previous 12 months). | |
New South Wales Ambulance | Number of ambulance attendances where naloxone was administered, 2014 | Unable to identify suitable multiplier (had an overdose in the past 12 months where an ambulance attended and administered naloxone). The Illicit Drug Reporting System collects data on treatment responses to overdose, but it was not possible to construct a multiplier referring specifically to ambulance-administered naloxone. | |
Emergency Department Data Collection | Emergency department presentations for amphetamine, cocaine or opioid overdose, 2014 | Unable to identify suitable multiplier (attended an emergency department with amphetamine, cocaine or opioid overdose in the past 12 months) | |
Admitted Patients Data Collection | Hospital separations for amphetamine, cocaine or opioid overdose, 2014 | Unable to identify suitable multiplier (admitted to hospital with amphetamine, cocaine or opioid overdose in the previous 12 months) | |
National datasets | National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data Collection | Number of people in opioid substitution therapy on a snapshot day in Australia and all states and territories, 2014 | Multiplier data extracted from Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey |
Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data | Number of amphetamine-, cocaine- and opioid-induced deaths in Australia and all states and territories, 2014 | An increasing proportion of opioid-related deaths in Australia are due to pharmaceutical opioids and may be among people who do not inject drugs; hence there were concerns that the benchmark data may not represent the population of people who inject drugs and use of these data would overestimate people who inject drugs. Mortality data were used for validation and limitations of this are noted in the Discussion. |