The Emerging Drugs Network of Australia - Victoria Clinical Registry: A state-wide illicit substance surveillance and alert network.

2023

Syrjanen, Rebekka

Schumann, Jennifer

Fitzgerald, John

Gerostamoulos, Dimitri

Abouchedid, Rachelle

Rotella, Joe-Anthony

Knott, Jonathan

Maplesden, Jacqueline

Hollerer, Hans

Hannon, Liam

Bourke, Elyssia

Hodgson, Sarah E

Greene, Shaun L

early warning system

illicit drugs

novel psychoactive substances

public health

toxicosurveillance

Journal Article

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8109-164X

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1503-0440

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5811-253X

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5617-0955

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7423-2467

10.1111/1742-6723.14059

With an increasingly dynamic global illicit drug market, including the emergence of novel psychoactive substances, many jurisdictions have moved to establish toxicosurveillance systems to enable timely detection of harmful substances in the community. This paper describes the methodology for the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia - Victoria (EDNAV) project, a clinical registry focused on the collection of high-quality clinical and analytical data from ED presentations involving illicit drug intoxications. Drug intelligence collected from the project is utilised by local health authorities with the aim to identify patterns of drug use and emerging drugs of concern. The project involves 10 public hospital EDs in Victoria, Australia. Patients 16 years and over, presenting to a network ED with a suspected illicit drug-related toxicity and a requirement for venepuncture are eligible for inclusion in the study under a waiver of consent. Clinical and demographic parameters are documented by site-based clinicians and comprehensive toxicological analysis is conducted on patient blood samples via specialised forensic services. All data are then deidentified and compiled in a project specific database. Cases are discussed in weekly multidisciplinary team meetings, with a view to identify potentially harmful substances circulating in the community. High-risk signals are escalated to key stakeholders to produce timely and proportionate public health alerts with a focus on harm minimisation. The EDNAV project represents the first centralised system providing near real-time monitoring of community drug use in Victoria and is fundamental in facilitating evidence-based public health intervention.

link

Emergency Medicine Australasia : EMA 2023; 35(1)

Emergency Medicine Australasia : EMA