This Page is Helping you with Medications Outside the ORT : Opioid Replacement Therapy Program.
Psychiatric problems are very common in the substance using population. Depression and even feeling unwell is very important in maintaining a person’s need to use illegal opioids.
So it is very important to manage people’s symptoms ... in association with managing their opioid needs.
Opioids are not good medicines for depression, although they can help somewhat.
Opioids are not good medicines for amphetamine/crystal meth/ice use ... although some doctors inc DDU doctors, have admitted that this can help somewhat.
Opioids are not good medicines to control anxiety or panic.
Opioids are not good medicines to control hallucinations, weird thoughts or ideas.
Opioids are not good medicines to assist with sleep, although they can help somewhat.
It is very important to work out what symptoms people have and to use a medication program which will assist the symptoms.
Psychiatric Assessments
These are most necessary for people who have psychiatric issues as well as Depression and Anxiety in addition to substance use / addiction issues.
A patient on significant doses of sedative medications will need to be referred for an opinion from a Psychiatrist regarding the use of of sedative medications, with a review of their usage for many different reasons/ indications. The issue is to keep people stable medically but also to keep them safe. The other issue is of course - can we do it better - without upsetting people's health / stability or wellness?
The Psychiatrist will comprehensively review the clinical state of the patient as well as biological, psychological and social issues.
The Psychiatrist will Prepare a
(i) written diagnosis of the patient; and
(ii) prepare a written management plan for the patient that:
covers the next 12 months, is appropriate to the patient's diagnosis; and address the patient's diagnostic psychiatric issues; and make management recommendations addressing the patient's biological, psychological and social issues
The Psychiatrist will provide the referring practitioner (Dr Pluta in this instance) a copy of the diagnosis and the management plan.
The Psychiatrist will advise if they have become aware that the patient would benefit from allied health therapy in the course of the assessment. Suggestions are: Podiatry, Dietician advice, Exercise Physiology, Physiotherapy, Psychology.
Our Clinic has made arrangements with a specific Psychiatrist : Dr Phil Nyst for this care- due to his expertise with drug related issues and his understanding of the needs of General Practice patients. (Contact details Phil Nyst)
Our GP clinic policy is 'ONE PROBLEM --- ONE CONSULTATION'.
Our doctors bulk bill with a few exceptions.
The Psychiatrist undertakes a full and comprehensive assessment - as of course specialists do.
ToombulDoc.com Go To Home Page ToombulDoc.com
Contact Details
Dr Andrew Pluta
UMC North Lakes Doctors
26 Torres Crescent, North Lakes
P: 3482 3123
umcnorthlakes@unitedmedical.net.au
The Science of Addiction Medicine www.DDDocs.com.au
Dr Pluta
Dr Pluta is no longer looking after "programme" patients. AHPRA / The Medical Board have taken the stance that Dr Pluta / Dr Reece and Dr Herdy: three of the main prescribers in SE QLD should be stopped from looking after Substance Use patients for the safety of the patients.
There have been no complaints about Dr Pluta's treatment / management of Substance Use patients. Dr Herdy has stated that in his career of looking after many thousands of patients with Substance Use problems, he has only had two of his patients die. This in a disease with a mortality approaching 50% untreated, Amazing!
The AHPRA/ Medical Board decision ensures that approximately 2000 patients in SE QLD have been forced to face the issue of without warning, being denied a prescriber. The patients are all instantly in the "untreated" category. AHPRA /the Medical Board believes this is for their own good.
You would have to wonder who in AHHPRA / the Medical Board hates Substance Use patients so much that they would act to deliberately act to inflict harm on them. The tragedy is that the people who these actions harm are not people who have active "Substance Use" problems, (the people who give drug users a bad name). They are all people who have made the decision to stop using substances and to get their lives , their health and their finances back on track.
Now they are to be forced to face illness, poverty and death- all for their own health and safety according to AHPRA/ the Medical Board.
And if you think you are special in Qld., AHPRA/ the Medical Board restricted 20 of 60 of the main prescribers in Victoria in the year gone by. Dr Julian Fidge of Wangaratta, the latest prescriber doctor facing restrictions on work, I know of.
Victorian Opioid Doctors Crisis
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Victorian Opioid Doctors Crisis
Short Version ( Dr Pluta's Story) .
Long Version (Dr Pluta's Story).