National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection, 2020; Quality Statement
Data Quality Statement Attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes | |
Metadata item type: | Data Quality Statement |
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METEOR identifier: | 740180 |
Registration status: | AIHW Data Quality Statements, Superseded 30/03/2022 |
Data quality | |
Data quality statement summary: | Description The National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection (NOPSAD) collection comprises data collected by state and territory health departments about opioid pharmacotherapy clients, prescribers and dosing points (i.e. a place at which a client is provided a pharmacotherapy drug). Each jurisdiction uses different methods to collect data about the pharmacotherapy used to treat those with opioid dependence. The data are a mix of survey and administrative data. Further information on these differences can be found in the annual National opioid pharmacotherapy statistics report. Recently, two depot forms of buprenorphine (Buvidal® and Sublocade®) were registered for use in the treatment of opioid dependence across Australia. These long acting injections (Buprenorphine LAI) have been reported where possible for the first time in the NOPSAD 2020 collection. The NOPSAD collection now includes information on four opioid pharmacotherapy drugs used for treating opioid dependence. These drugs are methadone, buprenorphine, buprenorphine-naloxone and buprenorphine LAI. Each jurisdiction collects data about clients receiving opioid pharmacotherapy on a snapshot day, usually a day in June each year. The snapshot day varies across jurisdictions. Since 2012, most jurisdictions have provided the AIHW with unit record data in addition to aggregate data. Unit record data are provided by all jurisdictions except Victoria and Queensland. However, while jurisdictions strive to report data consistent with agreed standards, the NOPSAD collection is not based on a nationally agreed data standard such as a national minimum data set and there are some inconsistencies in the ways in which data are reported. In the context of the pharmacotherapy treatments reported, the term 'opioid drug of dependence' refers to the opioid drug that led to a client receiving treatment for their opioid dependence. The Australian Standard Classification of Drugs of Concern 2011 is used to code this item. The NOPSAD collection is one of a number of data sources that provide a picture of alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia. Summary of key data quality issues:
Unit record data were provided to the AIHW by all jurisdictions except Victoria and Queensland. |
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Institutional environment: | The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity under the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Act 1987 (AIHW Act), governed by a management Board and accountable to the Australian Parliament through the Health portfolio. The AIHW is a nationally recognised information management agency. Its purpose is to create authoritative and accessible information and statistics that inform decisions and improve the health and welfare of all Australians. Compliance with confidentiality requirements in the AIHW Act, Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988, (Cth) and AIHW’s data governance arrangements ensures that the AIHW is well positioned to release information for public benefit while protecting the identity of individuals and organisations. For further information see the AIHW website www.aihw.gov.au/about-us, which includes details about the AIHW’s governance (www.aihw.gov.au/about-us/our-governance) and vision and strategic goals (www.aihw.gov.au/about-us/our-vision-and-strategic-goals). Opioid pharmacotherapy prescribers and dosing points provide data to state and territory health authorities through a variety of administrative arrangements, contractual requirements or legislation. State and territory health authorities collate these data according to agreed specifications. However, jurisdictional differences in legislation, computer systems and resources may result in inconsistencies in reporting to the AIHW. |
Timeliness: | Data are collected by each jurisdiction on a snapshot day (in or around June each year) in accordance with the NOPSAD specifications. Jurisdictions receive, collate and clean these data, providing it to the AIHW between September and November each year. The AIHW analyses and reports on the data provided; annual data is available within four months of the finalisation of the national data set (allowing publication within the first half of each calendar year following collection i.e. within 12 months of collection). For the 2020 NOPSAD collection, initial data were due to be provided to the AIHW by 12 October 2020. Most jurisdictions supplied data to the AIHW by this date. Final cleaned data were due to be signed off by the jurisdictions by 30 November 2020. Data was signed off by all jurisdictions by 17 December 2020. |
Accessibility: | Publications containing NOPSAD data, including the annual National opioid pharmacotherapy statistics report, are available on the AIHW website. These reports are available for download free of charge. To enhance data availability, a series of supplementary tables accompanying the annual report is also available online. Requests for unpublished data can be made. There is a charge for custom data requests. Depending on the nature of the request, requests for access to unpublished data may require approval from the AIHW Ethics Committee. |
Interpretability: | A data guide outlining the NOPSAD data items in detail is produced annually and is available by contacting the AIHW by email to [email protected]. Information on opioid use is available in the annual National opioid pharmacotherapy statistics report. Definitions of terms used are in the report to assist with interpretability. Data published in the annual National opioid pharmacotherapy statistics report includes additional important caveat information to ensure appropriate interpretation of the analyses presented by the AIHW. Readers are advised to take note of footnotes and caveats specific to individual data tables that influence interpretability of specific data. Included in the report are Technical notes, administrative features, methodological issues of note, policies and guidelines and the history of data reported for the NOPSAD collection in each state and territory. |
Relevance: | The NOPSAD collection covers information about the provision of opioid pharmacotherapy treatment for:
In Victoria, Indigenous status of client is reported as a total, i.e. a breakdown of Indigenous status by individual pharmacotherapy drug type is not available. |
Accuracy: | Data collected on the snapshot day provide an indication of pharmacotherapy treatment activity on a specified day, but do not capture the total estimated activity for any given year. For example, a client receiving takeaway methadone who does not enter a dosing point on the snapshot day may not be counted in the collection. Alternatively, a client may enter and leave treatment prior to the snapshot day and may not be counted. However, snapshot data provide a good representation of the total client base for most purposes and this method should be kept in mind when comparing the NOPSAD collection with other collections that use different data collection periods. States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. However, the AIHW undertakes extensive validations on receipt of data. Data are checked for valid values, logical consistency and historical consistency. Potential errors are queried with jurisdictions, and corrections and resubmissions may be made by them in response to these edit queries. The AIHW does not make any other adjustments to these data for unsubstantiated errors or missing values. State and territory governments use different methods to collect data about the clients, prescribers and dosing points associated with the opioid pharmacotherapy system. These methods are driven by differences between the states and territories in relation to legislation, information technology systems and resources. These differences may result in discrepancies when comparing one state or territory with another.
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Coherence: | The NOPSAD collection is reported annually. Data is collected from each jurisdiction. The method of data collection and elements collected is consistent between years, allowing for meaningful comparisons over time. In 2018, Western Australia reported Indigenous status of client for the first time. Information about issues affecting the coherence of NOPSAD data for prior years can be found in the Coherence section of the National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection, 2016; Quality Statement. |
Source and reference attributes | |
Submitting organisation: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
Relational attributes | |
Related metadata references: | Supersedes National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection, 2018; Quality Statement AIHW Data Quality Statements, Superseded 31/03/2020 Has been superseded by National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection, 2021; Quality Statement AIHW Data Quality Statements, Superseded 20/04/2023 |