Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS)

The Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS) provides a telephone and email service for South Australian health professionals seeking clinical information and clarification around clinical procedures, guidelines and evidence-based practice.

This service does not provide proxy medical cover and cannot assume responsibility for direct patient care.

Contacts and operating hours

Telephone: (08) 7087 1742 24 hours a day 7 days/week including public holidays
Email: HealthDACASEnquiries@sa.gov.au

Out of these hours, medically urgent calls from a hospital based Medical Consultant or country hospital medical officer/GP will always receive a response.

Factsheets for GP’s

The following factsheets and other clinical information may assist health professionals in the treatment of alcohol and other drug related presentations in a general practice setting.

• Acamprosate in alcohol dependence (PDF 223KB)
• Benzodiazepine withdrawal (PDF 342KB)
• Heroin withdrawal (PDF 343KB)
• Heroin withdrawal precipitated by Naltrexone (PDF 281KB)
• Management of alcohol use disorders: withdrawal care (PDF 320KB)
• Management of cannabis use (PDF 325KB)
• Management of stimulant use (PDF 306KB)
• Naltrexone in alcohol dependence (PDF 325KB)
• Naltrexone in heroin dependence (PDF 125KB)

Alcohol — clinical information and resources

• Alcohol withdrawal – general (includes link to CIWA-Ar Observation schedule)
• Alcohol withdrawal – inpatient (includes link to CIWA-Ar Observation schedule and SA Health acute hospital guideline)
• Alcohol withdrawal – outpatient (includes link to CIWA-Ar Observation schedule)
• Alcohol dependence medicines (including information on naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram as well as patient information sheets)
• AUDIT – screening tool for assessing risk associated with alcohol use. Useful for brief interventions or as a first step towards addressing patients alcohol issues.
• Withdrawal Plan for patients and carers (PDF 116KB)
  
  

Amphetamines —  clinical information and resources

• Amphetamine withdrawal management
• What is methamphetamine (PDF 120KB)
  Information for patients who have presented to hospital with an acute amphetamine related problem.
• Withdrawal Plan for patients and carers (PDF 116KB)
• Meth Check: Ultra Brief Intervention Tool — Insight
  An A3 clinical tool designed to assist health practitioners structure a 20-30 minute ultra-brief intervention with someone who uses methamphetamine.
   
  

Benzodiazepines —  clinical information and resources

• Benzodiazepine withdrawal management (including link to benzodiazepine dose equivalent chart, link to CIWA-B Withdrawal Observation Chart)
• Benzodiazepines and methadone or buprenorphine — patient information (PDF 240KB)
• Benzodiazepine tapering agreement — patients on MATOD (WORD 50KB)
• Withdrawal Plan for patients and carers (PDF 116KB)
  
  

Cannabis —  clinical information and resources

• Cannabis withdrawal management
• Withdrawal Plan for patients and carers (PDF 116KB)
  
  

Gamma Hydroxy Butyric Acid (GHB) —  clinical information and resources

• GHB withdrawal management
• Withdrawal Plan for patients and carers (PDF 116KB)
  
  

Opioids —  clinical information and resources

• Opioid withdrawal management includes:
  • Inpatient management of people on methadone or Suboxone for opioid dependence admitted to hospital plus COWS (Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale)
  • Inpatient management of people withdrawing from unsanctioned (illicit or prescribed) plus COWS (Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale)
  • Outpatient opioid withdrawal management

• Benzodiazepines and methadone or Suboxone (PDF 109KB)
• Commencing patients on Suboxone for opioid dependence (PDF 199KB)
• Drugs of Dependence Unit opioid dependence treatment authority application form (PDF 2.2MB)
• Prescribing drugs of dependence in general practice (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2017)
• Managing people with regular over the counter codeine use (PDF 1.2MB)
• Substance misuse and dependence
• Withdrawal Plan for patients and carers (PDF 116KB)
  
  

DASSA referral information

• Detailed information on how to refer eligible patients to DASSA.
• Referral to DASSA community clinics including country counsellors (PDF 90KB)
• DASSA Adelaide metropolitan community clinic catchments (PDF 125KB)
• Rapid Response Hospital Referrals (PDF 90KB) — referrals from hospitals only
  
  
  

Other information

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)

Telephone 1300 13 1340

A confidential telephone counselling, information and referral service. 
(Available 8.30 am to 10.00 pm, 7 days for SA callers only).

Know Your Options

www.knowyouroptions.sa.gov.au

Support people to access alcohol and other drug treatment services in South Australia. 
The website includes a service directory, information for health professionals about alcohol and other drug treatment, information about selecting a service.