OET READING PART B Q5

How is Australia responding to the trends in pharmaceutical opioid utilization and opioid harms?

In the past 20 years, there have been substantial increases in the use of pharmaceutical opioids in many countries including Australia, which has one of the highest levels of opioid utilization globally. Almost 15 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed in 2015 and our use of high potency opioids has also increased. One of the main drivers is the higher use of prescription opioids for chronic non‐cancer pain (CNCP). In parallel to escalating use, opioid‐related harms have also increased. Since 2000, there has been a shift in hospitalizations due to opioid poisonings and opioid‐related deaths from predominantly heroin to pharmaceutical opioids. Extra medical use — defined as any use of a medication outside the formal medical system or inconsistent with a doctor's prescription — is also relatively common; the most recent household survey indicates that “non‐medical use” was reported by 4.8% of the Australian population.

5. The paragraph provides information regarding:

A) Differentiating extra medical use and non-medical use

B) Changing trends in heroin and other opioid use.

C) Escalating Australian population about 4.8%