Approved medical practitioners or nurse practitioners need to notify the department if a patient’s participation in a methadone or buprenorphine program is terminated.
Reasons for a patient’s termination include:
- transfer to another practitioner
- hospitalisation
- imprisonment
- ceased to dose methadone or buprenorphine
- requested to leave by doctor
- did not start a program
- discharged from hospital
- released from prison
- completed the program
- deceased.
The notification of termination of a methadone or buprenorphine program is a requirement under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981.
If an incarcerated patient is on a pharmacotherapy program and is released from prison, this must be notified in addition to the regular notification.