About this webinar:

Methadone has long been the standard treatment for opioid dependence during pregnancy, while buprenorphine was endorsed for perinatal use in the mid-2010s; however, the extent of their use in pregnancy in contemporary Australia remains unknown. Drawing on population-based data from NSW relating to mothers who gave birth and received opioid dependence treatment, Dr Danielle Tran and Dr Bianca Varney will present the prevalence of methadone and buprenorphine use in pregnancy, and patterns of treatment retention during pregnancy and the postpartum period. They will also highlight key maternal characteristics associated with treatment retention and discuss implications for policy and practice.

About the speakers:

Dr Danielle Tran and Dr Bianca Varney are perinatal epidemiologists at NDARC, UNSW Sydney. Dr Tran is a Senior Research Fellow, with 20 years’ experience in perinatal medicines and health services research. Her work focuses on medicine utilisation, healthcare delivery, and health outcomes using large-scale, real-world data. Dr Varney is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, whose research uses linked, population-level healthcare data to investigate medicine use and safety before, during, and after pregnancy.

At NDARC, Danielle and Bianca’s research focuses particularly on medicines used to treat substance use disorders and those with dependence potential. Their work aims to generate evidence to inform clinical practice and policy regarding prenatal treatment, ultimately improving outcomes for women and infants.