Social Policy Research Centre
Implementation of time-limited parenteral hydromorphone in people with treatment-resistant injecting opioid use disorder: Feasibility, acceptability, and cost
Published on the 21 May 2026
Supervised injectable opioid treatment is an evidence-based intervention targeting people who are opioid dependent and for whom existing treatments have been ineffective. Despite Australia's well-developed opioid agonist treatment system, and international evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of short acting injectable treatments, these are not currently available in Australia.
This project will primarily assess the feasibility and the acceptability of time-limited supervised injectable opioid treatment using injectable hydromorphone delivered in an existing Australian public opioid treatment program, with secondary outcomes of safety, cost, changes in drug use and other health outcomes.
Research Centre
Research Area
Drug Policy Modelling Program
- Years
- Publications
- Funding agency
- Collaborators
2019 to 2026
- Rodgers, C., Siefried, K. J., Ritter, A., Belackova, V., Treloar, C., Jauncey, M., . . . Bell, J. (2024). Implementation of time-limited parenteral hydromorphone in people with treatment-resistant injecting opioid use disorder: a protocol for a single-site, uncontrolled, open-label study to assess feasibility, safety and cost. BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082553
- Ritter, A., Bell, J., Strang, J., Ezard, N., Rodgers, C., Belackova, V., . . . Treloar, C. (2025). Bridging the evidence and the politics: Implementation trial of supervised injectable opioid treatment (SIOT) in Australia. International Journal of Drug Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104749
- Rance, J., Belackova, V., Bell, J., Dunlop, A.J., Ezard, N., Jauncey, M., Lintzeris, N., Oviedo-Joekes, E., Ritter, A., Roberts, D.M., Rodgers, C., Siefried, K.J., Strang, J., van den Brink, W. and Treloar, C. (2025), Hydromorphone Hopes: A Qualitative Study of People Initiating Supervised Short-Acting Injectable Opioid Treatment in Australia. Drug & Alcohol Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.14092
NHMRC Partnership grant, Uniting NSW.ACT
James Bell, Carla Treloar, Nadine Ezard, Darren Roberts, Craig Rodgers, Krista Siefried, Vendula Belackova, Marianne Juancey, nick Lintzeris, Adrian Dunlop, Jogn Strang, Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes, William van den Brink, Marian Shanahan
