This qualitative pre-implementation study looks at the perspectives of staff of AOD organisations on drug checking as a harm reduction tool.
Understanding drug and alcohol staff perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to drug checking: a qualitative study
September 2025
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Pocuca, N., Dakin, B. C., Puljević, C., Francis, C., Stjepanović, D., Barnett, A., & Hides, L. (2025). Understanding Drug and Alcohol Staff Perspectives on the Barriers and Facilitators to Drug Checking: A Qualitative Study. Drug and Alcohol Review, 44(5), 1330–1338. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.14073
A new open access paper in Drug and Alcohol review looked at AOD staff perspectives on drug checking, also known as pill testing. A notable feature of the paper is the thematic table of deidentified quotations from study participants. Four factors were identified as key to the uptake of drug checking services: confidentiality; agreements to protect clients from criminalisation; accessible mobile and fixed-site services; and a non-judgemental and safe environment including both health and peer workers. The study authors are currently examining attitudes of college students against a backdrop of changes in the drug policy landscape across Australian jurisdictions, including in Queensland. NCYSUR researchers collaborated on another open access paper exploring the perspectives of potential service users published in Drug and Alcohol Review after Queensland-based services closed due to withdrawal of state government funding support.
Along with many others, NCYSUR strongly advocated for drug checking services in its submission and invited testimony to the 2024 Parliamentary inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia by the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport. The Committee published an Issues Paper in March 2025 before lapsing at the last Federal Election. On 28 August 2025, Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler re-referred the inquiry to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability, confirming that all submissions previously received will be considered. Those who made a submission to the previously constituted Inquiry may also want to address additional areas of focus beyond the original terms of reference identified in the Issues Paper. Submissions are requested by Friday 31 October 2025.
Read the paper by Pocuca and colleagues in Drug and Alcohol Review.
