Brookfield S, Gartner C. The impact of pseudoephedrine regulation at Australian pharmacies through Project Stop: A narrative review.
Drug Alcohol Rev 2024;
43:325-342. [PMID:
37963493 DOI:
10.1111/dar.13777]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
ISSUES
Project Stop, a real-time monitoring program for pseudoephedrine-containing medicines, was initiated in 2005 by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia in collaboration with police in the state of Queensland. The program implemented an online database to record pseudoephedrine purchases (and attempted purchases) to prevent large-scale diversion to methamphetamine production.
APPROACH
This narrative review aims to understand the overall impact of Project Stop, what evidence exists for this kind of intervention in Australia, and what lessons can be learned from its introduction. Systematic database searches were conducted in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar, with 20 relevant sources selected for inclusion.
KEY FINDINGS
Project Stop successfully prevented some pseudoephedrine from being diverted from pharmacies to methamphetamine production. The intervention has been most effective in jurisdictions that made the program mandatory. Project Stop was also associated with a temporary decline in clandestine laboratory seizures in Queensland, changes in methamphetamine production methods and reduced voluntary treatment admissions for methamphetamine use. Implementation was not associated with an appreciable effect on secondary indicators, such as methamphetamine production and harmful use.
IMPLICATIONS
Future applications of a Project Stop model must ensure ongoing impact evaluation, assessment of its effect on individual's drug-related behaviour and combine it with policies that address drug use as a health issue.
CONCLUSION
Project Stop has been narrowly successful in terms of reducing pseudoephedrine diversion and demonstrates the potential for third-party policing practices directed at the consumer level, in collaboration with healthcare practitioners, rather than only regulating precursor wholesalers.
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