NEW ROW LOOMS OVER DRUG POLICY

Health Minister Michael Moore has confirmed that the ACT Government is
considering replacing the nurses who administer the public methadone
program with pharmacists.

In response to reports this week that the Government's Drug and Alcohol
Program was subject to a major overhaul, Mr Moore said the restructuring
would mean changes to the public methadone program. But he said the
Government would maintain its commitment to both the Civic and Woden
methadone clinics.

Mr Moore is due to disclose the Government's draft drugs strategy next
week, so the prospect of a radical restaffing of the methadone clinics
prompted a hostile response yesterday from the ACT branch of the Australian
Nursing Federation.

Federation secretary Colleen Duff said the replacement of nurses with
pharmacists on the methadone program raised questions about the
Government's approach to the treatment of drug addicts.

"Is the Government seeing its role here as simply to dispense methadone or
is it also to rehabilitate people?" she asked.

Mr Moore said the proposed changes would mean a more "high professional,
clinically orientated" approach.

"There's a shake-up, there's no question about that, but what we want is
the best possible service for the clients . . . the current program is
inadequate in the way it deals with the broader needs of clients."

The review was not a cost-saving device, he said.

However, it is unlikely the draft drugs strategy document will announce any
expansion of the Alcohol and Drug Program budget, which is about $6 million
this year, including grants to community groups.

The nurses who work at the methadone clinics are already angry about what
they say is a serious lack of resources.

Ms Duff said the clinic in Civic had been told to increase the number of
heroin addicts on its books to 150 people.

"They're already trying to operate in a situation where the computer has
crashed. It's been down for weeks, and the nurses are being forced to use a
manual data system," she said.

"We can't see how they're going to significantly improve or expand the
service without additional funds."

The federation has also queried the use of a private consultancy to do the
restructuring review. Sydney-based accounting firm KPMG was engaged to do
the review, which will be presented to management on Friday.

Mr Moore said the review had been initiated to respond to guidelines set
down by the Government. KPMG was contracted to assist in the development of
operational procedures, looking at such things as competency standards and
staff training.

"Management will spend the next three weeks discussing with staff whether
KPMG has got it right," he said.

But Ms Duff said the staffing issues being dealt with in the review should
be the responsibility of management in any government program area.

"We find it absolutely incredible how many consultants this Government gets
in to do the work of management," she said.