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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (28 June) . . Page.. 2154 ..

MR MOORE

average of 330 treatment places per year in the second stream, which makes so far 600 places per year.

The new third stream will again ensure that methadone treatment is available, accessible and acceptable. As the stream is unsubsidised, it ensures that clients who are able to pay the full fee of $30 have treatment available sooner than later in an accessible location, a pharmacy. This approach is acceptable to clients because they can avoid the waiting lists for the first stream. It will also reduce first stream waiting lists, thus ensuring clients who are considered a priority or disadvantaged can have treatment available.

The first, second and new third streams of methadone will be complemented by a fourth stream of methadone treatment which will be fully private, that is, the client will bear the burden of all costs associated with treatment and the associated costs to be established. Work will commence soon on the development of this stream.

Quality of care is maintained through infrastructure development which builds into methadone treatment information provision client confidentiality, decision review processes, monitoring and reporting mechanisms and training for all participants. The budget initiative regarding the new third stream makes provision for the employment of additional staff in the alcohol and drug program to prescribe methadone, coordinate client care and ensure that the quality of methadone treatment is maintained at its current high standard within the ACT.

Mr Wood then asked me a supplementary question. In his supplementary question he asked me to include information on the number of places in the fully funded first stream and whether the number fell from 292 to 270. The answer in the short term is no, but it does require an explanation. The alcohol and drug program provides a first stream methadone treatment, as I have described earlier, comprised of an alcohol and drug program medical officer prescribing methadone to the client and daily doses of methadone being dispensed in either of the alcohol and drug program methadone clinics based in Civic and Woden.

The alcohol and drug program of ACT Community Care has been contracted to provide services for an average of 270 clients per year at the public clinics since the 1997-98 financial year. Therefore, there has been no decrease in the number of funded places on the first stream of methadone since 1997. However, in 1997-98 an average of 271 clients were registered for treatment on the first stream and 285 during the 1998-99 financial year. This financial year, as at the end of May 2000, an average of 283 clients have been registered for treatment on the first stream of methadone. On a per month basis, however, the number of registered clients has actually ranged between 324 and 247.

MR RUGENDYKE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a statement under standing order 46 in order to clarify a question I asked today of the Chief Minister.

MR SPEAKER

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