Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC24)

ACPIC 2024 delivered a wide range of clinical and research sessions from experts and leaders in paramedicine. Hosted in Sydney (September 2024) the program was designed to inspire, educate and broaden horizons.

Conference theme: Paramedicine's evolution – Embracing the new era

Initiation of opioid agonist therapy using buprenorphine in the emergency department or emergency out of hospital setting: A mixed-methods systematic review

Emergency clinicians, including paramedics, are often the sole point of contact with the healthcare system for people who use drugs. The toxic drug crisis has seen the rapid expansion of emergency buprenorphine initiation for people with opioid use disorder interested in opioid agonist therapies. This systematic review summarised the available evidence relating to this topic, highlighting the crucial role emergency clinicians play in the continuum of care for people who use drugs.

Biography: Richard Armour

Richard is a critical care paramedic with experience spanning Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Richard has a passion for improving the integrated care paramedics provide for patients with both high and low acuity care needs. While in Canada, Richard became especially passionate about improving paramedic care for people who use drugs and successfully lobbied for federal legislation changes, now implemented in multiple provinces and territories, to allow paramedics to take a more active role in the longitudinal care of people who use drugs.

Moderator: Dr Nigel Barr, ACPIC24 Organising Committee Member