Drug Testing Workplace Solutions

Changing of the Guard – Drug Abuse During COVID-19

September 24, 2020

As Australia continues to grapple with COVID-19, the country also has to deal with an ongoing drug abuse problem. The federal and state governments adopted lock-down measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They closed down all non-essential businesses including pubs and clubs, where people sometimes meet to buy and sell illicit drugs.

But instead of helping curb substance abuse, the move seems to have only caused an inconvenience to drug users. People who had a hard time buying illicit drugs merely switched from one substance for another. Some have even found more potent alternatives to the ones they were using before.

Let’s take a look at how the COVID-19 pandemic is causing widespread changes in drug abuse trends in Australia.

Is It Safe For Workers To Take Medicinal Cannabis?

September 8, 2020

Registered medical practitioners in Queensland can now prescribe medicinal cannabis to their patients if they think it’s clinically appropriate. Previously, only specialist doctors had the authority to issue such prescriptions. But a recent amendment to existing legislation effectively changed this requirement.

With more doctors allowed to issue medicinal cannabis prescription, it raises new concerns for the public. Is it safe for workers to use the drug? Will it affect their performance at work? Here’s our take on the matter.

Addictive drugs disappear from Queensland hospitals

September 3, 2020

Thousands of highly addictive medicines have been stolen from several Queensland hospitals presumably by the facilities’ own staff. In a recent ABC News article, journalist Allyson Horn brought light to a potential new drug ring in the state. Hospital workers have been stealing supplies of restricted drugs from their employers.

Among the medicines taken were highly potent opiates such as Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and Methadone. It is highly likely that these drugs will be sold on the black market.

What exactly happened? How could these workers manage to steal large amounts of controlled substances from under the employers’ noses Let’s take a closer look at what may be another brewing drug problem for the country.

Benzodiazepines abuse continues to grow via the black market in Australia

August 18, 2020

Australia has a long history of battling benzodiazepines abuse dating back to the 1970s. While the government was successful in controlling the supply of the drugs, it ultimately failed in stopping the demand. Regulatory measures only forced the drug trade underground, giving birth to a thriving and lucrative black market. Today, ‘benzos’ continue to fuel Aussies’ addiction to prescription drugs with no clear end in sight.

What exactly are benzodiazepines and how can they affect workers’ health and well-being? Our chief toxicologist Dr Phil Tynan breaks down the history and profile of these psychoactive drugs.