Subutex is the less widely used of two buprenorphine formulations available to opiate pharmacotherapy consumers in Victoria, (Suboxone being the other). Subutex is a mono-formulation of buprenorphine available in 0.4, 2 & 8mg sub-lingual tablets. It was the first buprenorphine product to become available in Victoria, but has been largely superseded by Suboxone (a buprenorphine/naloxone formulation.) The presence of the opiate antagonist naloxone in Suboxone makes it less attractive than Subutex to clients who may wish to divert their dose with intention of injecting it. Because of the harms associated with this practice, doctors are less willing to prescribe Subutex and take away doses are only available in a handful of circumstances. Subutex tablets are placed beneath the tongue, where they are absorbed directly into the blood-stream through the mucous membrane. Clients on low doses sometimes find Subutex preferable because the 0.4mg tablet can allow for more accurate dosing. Basic Pharmacology of Buprenorphine Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist. It binds strongly to the same receptors as other opiates, but stimulates them only weakly, producing very little of an opiate effect. Once the buprenorphine molecule is locked onto the receptor, it remains there much longer than other opiates like heroin and methadone. If such drugs are taken while on buprenorphine, their effects will be much reduced. Buprenorphine’s affinity for the receptor is powerful enough to displace opiates like heroin and methadone. For this reason, the initial dose of buprenorphine should be low (i.e. < 8mg) and, ideally, the client should be in the first stages of opioid withdrawal. If a dependent client takes a large dose of buprenorphine after recent use of heroin – or before the onset of withdrawal – the buprenorphine can precipitate immediate and full withdrawal. This is an extremely unpleasant, uncomfortable experience to be avoided at all cost. The Ceiling Effect An interesting feature of buprenorphine is its ceiling effect. Up to a certain point, the more buprenorphine that is taken, the greater the opiate effect. Past that point, increasing the dose only results in a longer duration of action and no increased opiate effect. This means that some people can have their daily dose increased (usually doubled) and the dose will last for two days instead of one. This can be very useful for those who have difficulty reaching their dosing points, and can remove the need for take aways during the first month of treatment. Though scientific evidence is scant, this ceiling effect presumably varies with the individual. The maximum allowable dose of buprenorphine is 32mg. Injecting Subutex If another opiate – like heroin, methadone or oxycodone – is present in the system when Subutex is injected, precipitated withdrawal may result, as the opioid will be rapidly displaced from opiate receptors by the buprenorphine. Injecting Subutex carries serious health risks and is not recommended. If the medication is removed from the mouth prior to injection, these risks are compounded. For more information about the harms associated with injecting Subutex, please contact PAMS. Take Away Doses of Subutex There are no routine take away doses of Subutex, unless the consumer is: Pregnant and/or breast-feeding Has a documented allergy to the naloxone (present in Suboxone). Is on a dose of <2mg (this because a 0.4mg tablet of buprenorphine is available, but not in the combined buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone) formulation. If a person meets any of the above criteria, take away doses may be provided if the prescriber assesses the client as being stable and there are no other issues of concern. If you have any questions or want to discuss your individual situation, please contact PAMS PH: 1800 443 844.

HRVic is a community based and governed not-for-profit organisation. Our membership, staff and supporters include current and former people who use drugs. HRVic BOARD 2026 "The speed of decision making is the essence of good governance. -Piyush Goyal Board President PENNY HILL Penny Hill is the current Deputy Secretary of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, Oceania Representative to the International Drug Policy Consortium’s Members Advisory Council, Board Member of Harm Reduction Australia, Vice President of Harm Reduction Victoria, and co-founder of Students for Sensible Drug Policy Australia. Penny's PhD thesis focussed on opioid overdose through the Burnet Institute, and currently works as an Emerging Drugs Research Fellow at UNSW. Penny started working in the harm reduction sector as an NSP worker, and has substantial experience working and volunteering in various harm reduction services, including peer-led supervised consumption sites, festival spaces and drug checking services in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Board Vice President GABY BRUNING Gaby has been working primarily with Aboriginal clients in the AOD sector for the last 8 years as an AOD Clinician and Harm Reduction Practitioner. I wish to run for the Board because I believe in HRVic, and I believe in advocating for the human rights of people who use drugs. Board Secretary KATIA LALLO Katia is a community lawyer and advocate for the rights of criminalised people and communities. Her work is informed by de-carceration and grassroots organising, especially in the space of community legal education. Katia is interested in the way the law impacts on the lives of people who consume drugs, and its implications for individual and community safety and self-determination. Katia is a community lawyer and advocate for the rights of criminalised people and communities. Her work is informed by de-carceration and grassroots organising, especially in the space of community legal education. Katia is interested in the way the law impacts on the lives of people who consume drugs, and its implications for individual and community safety and self-determination. Board Treasurer PETER HIGGS ‘ Growing up’ in the inner suburbs of Sydney while studying a social work degree pre NSP in the mid-1980s meant learning lots about drugs and the people who use them. My first job in Melbourne in 1988 was on the North Melbourne high-rise housing estate which was ‘awash with heroin’. This led me to work with families who were greatly impacted and very confused about harm reduction. Much of my work over the past 25 years has been in and around the Footscray ‘street scene’ through a range of different iterations - with a couple of long stints in Vietnam doing HIV peer-based prevention work. Most of my recent work has a focus on hep C and changes in drug use patterns. I’m keen to give what knowledge and support I can to HRVic as I step back in my paid research work roles and look forward to the opportunities available. Board Member ROBYN DWYER (Coming Soon) Board Member LUCIEN KEENE (Coming Soon) Board Ex-officio Staff Member JANE DICKA (Coming Soon) Board Ex-officio CEO Sione Crawford (Coming Soon)

INTERNATIONAL DRUG USERS DAY 1:11:20 On this day we remember not only all those we have lost to the drug and all the years we have lost in prisons around the world but all the amazing positive difference we make – from overdose response to drug checking to peer support and education to hep C treatment navigation. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit our communities globally very hard. While Harm Reduction Victoria has been affected, the team have continued much of our work, despite being less able to engage in face to face & peer to peer work. We rallied quickly to reach out to community when the Flemington / North Melbourne Housing hard lockdown came down. We worked with close partners to do on the ground outreach in truly awful circumstances. We have worked with service providers and allies to provide naloxone and needle and syringe outreach to the hotels in central Melbourne. We have delivered naloxone training online and PAMS has assisted hundreds of people to start or remain on opioid substitution treatment over their phoneline. Our ace designer and Health Promotion Team have pushed out awesome info about COVID-19 and DanceWize has not missed a beat in supporting their community. Today we are so proud to release a new video in partnership with SSDP and Pill Testing Australia. "Pill Testing Explained" -2020

COVID-19 Pharmacotherapy Update from the PAMS Service The PAMS Service will continue to operate during COVID-19. You can contact us by calling 1800 443 844 , (free call from landlines, most mobiles, and all public phones). During the last 4 weeks or so, we have had several calls from pharmacotherapy consumers who are worried about various aspects of the program, given the international COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to reassure people on methadone or buprenorphine (Subutex) or buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone) that: the supply of these medications can be guaranteed in Australia for the foreseeable future. Pharmacies are ‘essential services’ and are therefore likely to remain open during COVID-19. Importantly, all pharmacotherapy dispensing pharmacies have been encouraged to have plans in place in order to ensure ongoing service delivery in the event the pharmacy had to close for a short period (e.g. due to staff sickness). PAMS has developed “Some Helpful Tips for People on Pharmacotherapy Programs”. Given information is changing rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have now updated and added to our “helpful tips” which can be found here. What has changed for Victorian Pharmacotherapy Consumers as a Result of COVID-19? New COVID-19 Specific Pharmacotherapy Guidance: In consultation with several experts, (including PAMS), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) have released an interim guidance which aims to make life safer for Victorian pharmacotherapy consumers and service providers during COVID-19. Currently, this guidance is in place only in response to COVID-19 and may be removed after the pandemic eases. Take-Away Doses, (TAD): We all know we are being encouraged to “stay at home” as much as possible during COVID-19. The less contact we have with other people, (e.g. on public transport, at the pharmacy or in the street), the safer we and our loved ones are likely to be. Given this interim guidance is now in place, some people might be eligible for TADs for the first time and others may be able to get additional TAD’s. The new (COVID-19 specific) Victorian TAD policy can be found here. A tool has been developed to help prescribers assess patient eligibility for TADs during COVID-19 which can be found here. Contra-indications to TADs: Please remember that both your pharmacist and prescriber must be in agreeance before you can get TADs or additional TAD’s. There are 4 circumstances when it is not considered safe to have TADs, these are: Recent OD reported with any substance Recent diversion of doses to others, sharing or trading of doses No safe and secure storage facility available Serious and immediate risk of harm to self or others Talking to your prescriber and pharmacist about TAD’s/extra TADs: If you feel you would benefit from a TAD review, PAMS staff suggest you consider the following: Get yourself a safe, secure storage facility: this can be as simple as finding a secure place, (e.g. a locked drawer or filing cabinet) where your TADs can be safely stored away. If your TADs are stored safely: You are unlikely to lose your dose/doses if your accommodation is burgled, Your confidentiality is maintained regarding the program and family members/non-using friends Your doses are kept safe from children and even pets! There is much less chance of an accidental, methadone-related overdose occurring. Remember: having a safe, secure storage facility is a requirement for TADs. Talk to your pharmacist first – ask if they would be happy to dispense TADs or additional TADs before you talk to your prescriber, (getting the support of your pharmacist is essential). Do the “check-list for assessing appropriateness of TAD’s to support continuity of pharmacotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic” yourself first. This will give you a good idea of what your prescriber might consider when faced with this question. The checklist can be found here. Talking to your prescriber: think about the points you want to get across to your prescriber regarding TAD’s and why you feel you would benefit from them. Do you have any other chronic conditions that might make you more at risk of COVID-19 (e.g. history of respiratory problems, immune compromised, living with elderly relatives, are you over 60 years etc). Do you have to travel to the pharmacy on public transport, do you live in rural/regional Victoria with no car and public transport has been reduced etc. When talking to your prescriber, try not to demand what you want, instead try to explain the problem, and ask for their input and opinion. Importantly, maintain your cool, getting angry just makes everything worse for everyone! 3rd Party Pick-up: A formalised arrangement is now in place whereby if you must isolate or are unwell and therefore unable to present for an in-store dose, it is now possible to have your dose/s collected by another, (officially authorised) person, referred to as a ‘3rd party’. If you find yourself possibly needing a ‘3rd party pick-up’, you may want to consider the following questions: Who should I choose to collect my dose/s? The ‘3rd party’ needs to be somebody you trust (if it is a person you know). Importantly, there is a requirement the ‘3rd party’ has photo ID. If you do not have a family member or friend who is appropriate to collect your dose/s, then the next option would be to ask a case worker (if you have one), failing this it is possible to utilise a courier company. Importantly, both the prescriber and pharmacist will need to approve of the 3rd party you have nominated. Will there be any additional costs to me? Any doses collected by the ‘3rd party’ must be dispensed by the pharmacist as a TAD/s. In some instances, pharmacists charge additional fees for dispensing a TAD (e.g. for a bottle). We would hope there would not be any further cost to the consumer, aside from the usual dosing fees. However, if a courier company is used, they will likely charge a fee for service. What, (if any) changes need to be made to my script? Your pharmacotherapy prescription will need to reflect a TAD for each dose to be collected by the 3rd party. As an interim measure this could be a verbal authorisation from the prescriber to the pharmacist, however an actual prescription will need to be supplied as soon as practicable. How are the doses transported from the pharmacy to me? It is essential for the ‘3rd party’ to understand the need to collect the dose/s from the pharmacy and transport them directly to you, the consumer. Doses should, (ideally) be transported by car as opposed to public transport wherever possible. Under no circumstances should your doses be left unattended, (e.g. in a car) for any period. Who signs for the doses and how does this process happen? Your doses will need to be signed for at the pharmacy by the 3rd party. Are there any forms that need to be completed? There are forms available to assist with 3rd part pick-up. Although not mandatory, these documents can assist to formalise the 3rd party pick-up process and outline the various roles and/or responsibilities of all parties involved. These forms can be found here. We refer to the issue of ‘3rd party pick-up’ when we discuss “what do I do if I have tested positive or need to isolate”, which can be found here. The actual guidelines on 3rd party pick-up can be found here. Prescription Length: Once you are stable on a program, most prescribers write a pharmacotherapy prescription for a month. However, during COVID-19, prescribers are being encouraged to write prescriptions for up to 6 months. There are a few reasons for longer pharmacotherapy prescriptions during COVID-19, including: If your prescriber became unwell, (e.g. had to self-isolate) and there was nobody to write your prescription from the same clinic, a longer script would hopefully allow your prescriber enough time to recover. Providing you do not miss 4 doses in a row, you can likely continue to dose. Hopefully, if your prescriber is seeing less patients face to face due to longer prescriptions, they are less likely to become unwell, Reduced travel to medical appointments, means overall less exposure to other people e.g. on public transport and/or inside the clinic. Remember, if you do get a longer script it is likely your prescriber may want to have regular check-ins with you, (these can now be done over the phone or by videoconferencing – see below). Tele-health: Pharmacotherapy prescribers can now bulk-bill patients through Medicare for consultations by phone or videoconference, (tele-health). In relation to tele-health, PAMS suggest that you consider the following: Before your next medical appointment, contact your prescriber’s clinic to find out if they require you to attend in person or if they offer tele-health. If your preference is for tele-health and it is offered by your prescriber, ask if there is anything you need to do, (e.g. is there an application you need to download for a videoconference or tele-health consult?) Make sure that your medical clinic have your recent contact details, (mobile phone number, email address and next of kin/emergency contact), store the clinic phone in your mobile phone so you will know if they are calling you. Before the tele-health consultation ends, ask your prescriber for the date your prescription expires and when the next consult will be – make sure you have these dates recorded somewhere safe. If there is anything that worries you about using tele-health, (e.g. your privacy/confidentiality, understanding of and/or availability of technology etc), please raise these issues with your medical clinic or pharmacotherapy service provider. What do I do if I think I might have COVID-19 or may be required to self-isolate? Opioid Withdrawal and COVID-19: Some of the symptoms of COVID-19 can be a little like opioid withdrawal, therefore it is important not to jump to any rash conclusions. If you are on a program and think you might have COVID-19 or may be required to isolate, we suggest you follow the steps below, including: Call the COVID-19 hotline, (PH: 1800 675 398) – they will advise if you need to be tested and provide information on test sites etc. NEGATIVE COVID19 TEST RESULT - Nothing needs to change POSITIVE COVID19 TEST RESULT - Call your prescriber’s clinic and tell them you have a positive test result for COVID-19. It is likely that your prescriber will allow you to have additional TADs to cover the period you need to isolate. Your doses can be collected by a 3rd party, (e.g. a person who is a friend/relative, case worker) The interim COVID-19 guidelines cover 3rd party pick-up, more information, (including specific consent forms) can be found here. *We strongly suggest you consider who this (‘3rd party) person might be NB: it must be a person who you trust to collect and transport your doses to you, has photo ID and the pharmacist and prescriber approve of. Contact your dosing pharmacy and inform them you have a positive test result for COVID-19. that you have spoken to your prescriber and who your nominated 3rd party is. If you are worried or feel you are not able to do this on your own, or if you have any questions, or concerns please call PAMS on 1800 443 844 so we can help guide you through it. More Tips for People on Pharmacotherapy During COVID-19 If you have not seen the first lot of tips, they can be found here. New Tips for People on Pharmacotherapy: Stay on your pharmacotherapy program: over the last couple of weeks, some people on methadone or buprenorphine-naloxone have reported to PAMS that they either missed doses or at worst stopped dosing altogether in an attempt to avoid COVID-19 or to keep family/friends safe. In all honesty, this is crazy, you need your dose, (usually daily). If opioid dependent and not on a program, consider starting treatment: over recent weeks, we have been hearing that supplies of illicit drugs such as heroin are dwindling, quality is decreasing, and prices are increasing. We have experienced an increased demand for the methadone/buprenorphine-naloxone program in recent weeks. In order to prevent the possibility of opioid withdrawal, we encourage you to consider starting/re-starting treatment for opioid dependence, (pharmacotherapy). Get Naloxone: as we all know, naloxone is used to reverse an opioid overdose, including a methadone overdose. With an increased amount of methadone TADs and a supply of heroin that is likely fluctuating, the more Naloxone in circulation the better we can respond to an opioid overdose. We strongly encourage you to ask your prescriber for a prescription of Naloxone. NB: All pharmacotherapy prescribers are being encouraged to provide each patient with a prescription of Naloxone. If you get more TADs, please look after them: it is very easy for us to forget that just one methadone dose can kill several non-opioid-tolerant individuals. One of the contra-indications to getting TADs is having no safe storage unit. If your TADs are stored safely, there is no chance that kids, teenagers, visitors, (even house breakers) will be able to get hold of them. A pin-code safe can be purchased relatively inexpensively, otherwise a lockable cabinet or drawer can be utilised. TADs of buprenorphine-naloxone, (Suboxone Film): people who are stable on Suboxone Film may find themselves with a 14-28-day supply of TADs during COVID-19. Please be very careful about ensuring you keep track of your TADs and do not miss the day you are due back at the pharmacy for your next in-store dose. Missing doses during COVID-19 can be risky as if you miss more than 4 in a row, you will have to be reviewed by your prescriber before you can resume dosing. Complications can occur if your prescriber is unavailable, (e.g. due to being unwell), reluctant to re-start people via tele-health (if this is all your prescriber offers) insisting you see a new prescriber (if you have no history with the new prescriber it might be difficult to get TADs). Tip,: set an alarm/reminder message on your phone so you do not miss a dose/s at the pharmacy. Photo ID: Having photo ID is always handy. For example, many prescribers require photo ID at the first appointment and pharmacists often ask for it along with a certified photograph, (colour photo of you signed by your prescriber). If you are required to self-isolate and need to arrange for a “3rd party” to collect your doses for a short period, the 3rd party will require photo ID. It is even possible you may become a nominated 3rd party if an acquaintance must isolate. Tip: If you do not have any photo ID, we strongly suggest you consider getting it. Update your contact details: It is easy to miss a call from your prescriber or pharmacist, especially if you do not have their contact details saved in your phone’s ‘contact list’. During COVID-19, it is essential you do not miss an important call such as this, (you might be called to change an appointment time, inform you about tele-health, let you know of a change to pharmacy dosing arrangements etc). Make sure your prescriber and pharmacy have your up to date contact details. We strongly suggest you give both prescriber and pharmacist a second contact person who knows how to find you, especially in case of emergency. If you do not yet have an email address, now is a good time to consider getting one – this will only work if you check your email regularly! If you can think of anything that we have not covered here or if there is anything you would like to ask us, or if you are experiencing a pharmacotherapy program-related problem you are unable to resolve on your own please do hesitate to contact PAMS on 1800 443 844. MORE COVID19 & PHARMACOTHERAPY INFO HERE

METHADONE Methadone Methadone is the most successful, well-researched and cost-effective treatment for opiate dependence. Although it is available in both liquid and tablet forms, the Victorian pharmacotherapy program uses the liquid form alone (except in instances of limited overseas travel). There are two brands of methadone liquid: Methadone Syrup and Biodone Forte. Their contents and strength are the same. Basic Pharmacology of Methadone Methadone is a full opiate agonist. The higher the dose, the greater the opiate effect. If too much methadone is consumed, breathing and heart rate will gradually slow, leading eventually to unconsciousness and death. Other full opiate agonist drugs include heroin, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, pethidine etc. When a client begins taking methadone, the doctor will prescribe a safe, low dose which can be adjusted as required until no feelings of opiate withdrawal are experienced for the full twenty-four hours between doses. If doses are missed or other opiates are used, it will take longer to stabilise on a daily dose. Methadone Take-Away Doses For the first two months of treatment, clients must attend each day for their dose. After this, if the client is considered stable, some takeaway doses may be prescribed, see below for further details: after two months of continuous treatment and considered stable (on the correct dose and not missing doses) – eligible for up to 2 take away doses per week after six months of continuous treatment and considered stable (on the correct dose and not missing doses) – eligible for up to 4 take away doses per week

HRVic is a community based, not-for-profit organisation that represents people who use drugs. Community service awards include: COMING SOON Our new website is in progress. Please bare with us while we cross all our T's and dot all our i's.

Services and Programs Needle & Syringe Program FIND OUT MORE DanceWize Peer run event care and on site outreach FIND OUT MORE Naloxone Opioid Overdose Recognise and Respond using Naloxone FIND OUT MORE P.A.M.S Pharmacotherapy Advocacy Mediation Support Phone Service FIND OUT MORE Safer Using Info Vein Care and Finding Blood Borne Virus Overdose- Opioid and ATS FIND OUT MORE WHACK MAGAZINE HRVic's quarterly publication. Fuse Initiatives Harm reduction peer workforce advocacy & support. Getting Older & Getting On Peer support for older people who use drugs. The Stigma Project FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE

HRVic's latest program brings people with lived experience and authentic, relevant, real-world, CURRENT experience with: substance use - various substances, injecting and otherwise experience with Hepatitis B - living with and treatment of experience with Hepatitis C- living with and treatment of experience with HIV - prevention and treatment experience with stigma & discrimination in healthcare settings, in the workplace etc. as a person who uses drugs in Victoria/Australia, and/ or as a person with a BBV HRVic's lived experience speakers are trained, remunerated and given ongoing support by HRVic and choose to speak candidly of our experiences publically at forums, conferences, panels and presentations. We at HRVic and we as peers and speakers feel that sharing real experience and putting real faces to real stories is the only way educate, enlighten and inform health workers and to challenge and combat stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs and people with BBVs. For More Information about booking a 'Speaking Peer- spectively ' lived experience speaker or to enquire about becoming a speaker on HRVic's 'Speaking Peer-spectively' team please email admin@hrvic.org.au or call 9329 1500.

Harm Reduction Victoria Privacy & Confidentiality Policy Statement Harm Reduction Victoria is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of service users, participants, team members and stakeholders in the way information is collected, stored and used. This policy provides guidance on Harm Reduction Victoria’s legal obligations and ethical expectations in relation to privacy and confidentiality. Harm Reduction Victoria will only collect personal information that is necessary to support its service users, provide service delivery and evaluate services provided by the organisation. Harm Reduction Victoria will only collect information through ‘lawful and fair means’ – that is, not through criminal or illegal activity, trickery or deception. Harm Reduction Victoria will endeavor to only collect information directly from the person it belongs to after obtaining consent from that person. If Harm Reduction Victoria is unable to collect information directly from the person it belongs to or obtain their consent but considers the information to be critical in providing health services to that person or other individuals, Harm Reduction Victoria will follow the IPP, APP and HPP guidelines around the collection, notification, storage, use and disclosure of the information. Harm Reduction Victoria strives to respect the confidentiality of any information pertaining to service users and any other individual who may engage with the organisation. However, in the spirit of partnership, Harm Reduction Victoria may share information with other organisations, involved individuals and services users when it is in the best interest of the service user or individual to do so. This best interest should be decided in partnership with the service user, and a standard health information sharing agreement should be used with the individual when we are operating on their behalf and sharing information with others. In the event of collecting or sharing information about individuals or organisations, Harm Reduction Victoria will take all reasonable steps to ensure it is abiding by relevant legislation, including but not limited to those listed in the legislation, clinical guidelines or other requirements. Reasonable steps to establish policies, procedures and work processes may include but are not limited to: Consult with Harm Reduction Victoria’s lawyers, specifically the Privacy and Data Security team For personal information, consult with the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner and/or Office of the Australian Information Commissioner For health information, consult with the Health Complaints Commissioner and/or the Department of Health Privacy Team Complete a Privacy Impact Assessment Enter into an agreement with the individual or organisation that HRVic will be collecting or sharing information. Harm Reduction Victoria is committed to ensuring that information is used in an ethical and responsible manner. Harm Reduction Victoria recognises the need to be consistent, cautious and thorough in the way that information about service users, participants, stakeholders and team members is recorded, stored and managed. All individuals including service users, participants, stakeholders, staff and volunteers have legislated rights to privacy of personal information. In circumstances where the right to privacy may be overridden by other considerations (for example, child protection concerns or public health and safety), staff will act in accordance with the relevant policy and/or legal framework. All team members are to have an appropriate level of understanding about how to meet the organisation’s legal and ethical obligations to ensure privacy and confidentiality. Harm Reduction Victoria strives to provide quality services in which information is collected, stored, used and disclosed in an appropriate manner complying with both legislative requirements and ethical obligations. Harm Reduction Victoria will work to ensure all staff understand their privacy and confidentiality responsibilities in relation to personal information and organisational information about Harm Reduction Victoria, its service users, participants, team members and stakeholders. This understanding should be demonstrated in all work practices. Please contact admin@hrvic.org.au or call (03) 9329 1500 for more information.

Hailing from all over Victoria and all walks of life, DanceWize volunteers are bound by a shared passion for our music culture and harm reduction. We share a deep kinship with the festival, doof, EDM, and broader Victorian music communities. Together, we turn our love for the scene into peer-led support, sharing the knowledge, tools, and skills that empower our community to look out for one another and thrive on the dancefloor. Our living and lived experience provides a unique perspective and expertise that others in the event care space simply cannot offer. It is by working through that peer lens that we can offer deeper understanding and empathy to the community members we support before, during, and after events. We combine expert training with nonjudgmental care to support every festival patron honestly and safely. As a DanceWize Key Peer Educator (KPE), you will be offered a full induction and specialised harm reduction training from an authentic peer perspective. If this sound like you, find out more about the opportunities that Harm Reduction Victoria and its DanceWize program can offer you now. APPLY HERE

Button Around 170,000 Australians are living with chronic hepatitis C infection. Many Australians do not know they are infected, or that they could be cured. These people are at risk of developing liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Some people will require liver transplants, and many will not survive. They are also at risk of transmitting the virus onto others. The consequences of hepatitis C in Australia are far-reaching, but they don't need to be. Hepatitis C is treatable and curable. It's therefore essential that we test and treat as many at-risk people as we can. It's simple and cheap to be tested, and curative treatments are now listed on Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). HRVic is committed to working with the rest of Australia towards the World Health Organisation's goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. HRVic have joined forces with the Burnet Institute and EC Australia. We have developed an approach that involves peer specialists working at strategic clinical services to assist our community to navigate and overcome the barriers to treatment and to access services. Introducing the PATH program- Peer Assisted Treatment for Hepatitis. and now the PATH-Ex program- an extension of the PATH program. The aim of PATH-Ex is to ensure that People Who Use Drugs are empowered, informed and supplied with the tools needed to access information, testing and treatment for hep C. We seek to take advantage of the unique empathy and support that comes only from the peer-to-peer relationship to encourage engagement with health services and ongoing support to jump through the hoops that life can put in our way when undertaking any longer term treatment course. You can read more about these principles here . Our PATH workers are outposted in St Kilda, the city and Footscray and the west. During COVID lockdown they are only able to undertake outreach, but as the lockdown end we are hoping to be back to more hours at Access Health, Living Room and cohealth West.

NOW OPEN! The Victorian Pill Testing service at 95 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. - Opening hours, and all other features of the service, will be up for continuous review and improvement based on need and feedback (see below for ways to feed in). - You can come in and get any pills, powders, crystals, gels, or liquids tested on a range of fancy new technology (FTIR and GCMS instruments, as well as reagents and nitazine and fentanyl test strips). - In the coming weeks, our Paper-Spray Mass Spectrometer (PCMS) will be coming on line to assist further quantification and strength testing. This is the first of its kind in Australia! - You are covered from prosecution for possession of small amounts of drugs (personal use amounts) inside 95 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. This is the legislated "drug checking place". You aren't covered for trafficable quantities, and it's important to avoid bringing any large amount of drugs into the service. Please spread this important message far and wide throughout the community. We are still working on how best to give clear, simple key messages around this, without going into the weeds of grams and milligrams and different substances. Again, this is a key area for feedback and comms advice from our community! - Yarra Area Command of Victoria Police, have been instructed by the Chief Commissioner of Police to show "discretion in the vicinity" for possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use, and not to discourage people accessing the drug checking place. Any issues with safely accessing the service should be communicated to service providers and to HRVic specifically. - Harm Reduction Victoria are employing harm reduction peer workers with living experience of drug use on every shift. 2 peer workers will be available each shift to provide you your drug checking results, who will be working alongside 2 Health and Harm reduction Workers with healthcare training, who are from our partners at The Loop Australia. We will also be employing an Operations Lead for the fixed-site, which is a designated peer leadership role within the service. - Harm Reduction Victoria will also be setting up a Service User Reference Group in September, to inform service improvement and service evaluation throughout the rest of the trial. Make sure you're signed up for updates at: www.hrvic.org.au/dcsignupdates - There are QR codes up at the service that link to an anonymous feedback and complaints form for all service users to access, as well. And we encourage any and all feedback, always! This is just the beginning of drug checking in Victoria, and we need your input. - We are also working on ways to further include more members of our community in the rest of the trial, and in Harm Reduction Victoria's work preparing for the end of the trial come August 2026. You can email: policy@hrvic.org.au to inquire further about this, ask questions, or share your feedback and ideas. And again, make sure you're signed up for updates at: hrvic.org.au/dcsignupdates Come and say hey any Thursday, Friday or Saturday arvo, and get your drugs checked Free, legal, and anonymous! And join in with this exciting new investment into harm reduction in Victoria 🙂