Equity and inclusion must be the foundation of drug strategy

This week’s NSW Drug Summit has provided a valuable opportunity to discuss issues impacting many areas of the health system, but any proposed new drug strategy must focus on the provision of treatment services, particularly for those living with disadvantage.

AMA (NSW) president Dr Kathryn Austin said that while several complex issues had been raised at the two-day Drug Summit, equity, access and ensuring treatment services for the most vulnerable in our community must be a key outcome.

Speaking from the Summit today, she said: “This is particularly critical in our rural and regional areas and in disadvantaged areas where health systems are already overstretched.

“Local health districts are already under enormous budgetary pressures, and regional NSW is experiencing a critical shortage of general practitioners. Yet, these are the very services and experts that can provide support and education to address our ever-growing drug problem.

Dr Austin said it was not enough to focus on legislative changes alone.

“We must fund treatment services across the state, ensuring they are free and accessible, and we must focus on risk groups such as youths, indigenous communities, pregnant women and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.”

Dr Austin said also called for the NSW Government to prioritise consulting with those communities most severely affected by drug addiction, and take their concerns seriously.

“When health budgets are strained, mental health and treatment services are often a quiet casualty, and this costs lives and causes generational trauma that impacts the health system for decades to come. We need strong outcomes from this Drug Summit that directly benefit all those impacted by drug addiction, but particularly our disadvantaged,” Dr Austin said.

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