Berejiklian's ice inquiry to consider pill testing merits

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given the go-ahead for a government-commissioned inquiry into illicit amphetamine use to examine the merits of pill testing.

In a move welcomed by the Australian Medical Association, pill testing will be examined as part of the special commission of inquiry into the drug 'ice', which will begin its hearings next month.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian, with Health Minister Brad Hazzard and NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, as she announced the special commission of inquiry into ice in November 2018. Credit: AAP

It comes after the Berejiklian government has repeatedly stated its opposition to pill testing in the wake of suspected overdose deaths at NSW music festivals.

The development was triggered by Ms Berejiklian's decision in February to agree to expand the inquiry's remit to cover "other illicit amphetamine type stimulants" following a request by the Commissioner Dan Howard SC.

The inquiry's chief operating officer David McGrath said as a result of the expanded scope the inquiry would consider harm-reduction measures for "ecstasy and the sort of drugs that are used at music festivals".

"Any response that might be relevant to address drug use in that class of drugs is now within our remit. That includes looking at things like substance testing, which may or may not have particularly merits," Mr McGrath said.

Ms Berejiklian did not directly respond to written questions from the Herald, including whether she would be open to reconsidering her opposition to pill testing if the inquiry recommended a trial.

"There is no change to the Premier's position, which is opposition to pill testing," the Premier's office said.

Mr McGrath said Professor Howard did not specifically reference pill testing in his request to expand the inquiry; instead his "primary rationale" was the fact that the available data did not distinguish between "ice" and other amphetamines.

Mr McGrath said the inquiry was still in its early stages and it was "difficult to predict" how much time would be dedicated to examining pill testing compared with other harm-reduction strategies.

Australian Medical Association NSW president Kean-Seng Lim said evidence from other countries showed there was "good reason to support a trial of pill testing with appropriate evaluation".

"Pill testing is not a question of just telling someone a pill is safe or not safe, but using it as an engagement opportunity to provide further advice, education and support," Dr Lim said.

The AMA is among a group of medical bodies that has supported the case for pill-testing trials, along with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Dr David Caldicott, who conducted Australia's first pill testing trial in the ACT last year, said he remained sceptical the inquiry would trigger a change of policy from the Berejiklian government.

"I think it's going to be terribly difficult for the Berejiklian government to backtrack on what they've said. An inquiry will present no new information because there is no new information regarding pill testing," Dr Caldicott said.

He said there was already “more than enough evidence” to implement a pill testing trial.

The inquiry will overlap with a NSW coronial inquest into seven suspected drug-induced deaths at recent music festivals, which is scheduled to be held over two weeks in July.

Deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame described the matter as "a really important public health issue" this week, as she confirmed the inquest would be expanded to include the two recent deaths at the Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival in southern Queensland.

The first round of hearings for the ice inquiry will begin on May 7 in Sydney, and will be followed by hearings across regional NSW over the coming months. The inquiry's findings are due in October.