Frequently Asked Questions
What are the IDRS and EDRS?
Please download this
PDF containing information on the aims, methodology and history of the IDRS and EDRS.
What is indicator data?
Indicator data include data such as the number of callouts to overdoses, admissions to emergency departments, drug seizure data and calls to telephone helplines. Additional indicator data types from a number of other sources are listed here.
Advantages of using such data:
- Indicator data provides reliable measures of trend. This is because the data comes from routine sources that are usually comparable over time, and;
- Indicator data typically provides data that is collected using similar methods across different sections of the community. Data can then be directly compared across localities, making it possible to identify trends that may be relevant on a larger scale. For example; across a particular jurisdiction, or even nationally.
Limitations of using such data:
- Indicator data often provides indirect measures of harms and so is less sensitive to identifying emerging drug use patterns, and;
- It is often difficult to monitor information on new drug types in a timely manner due to the way in which this data is collected.
What is sentinel surveillance?
Sentinel surveillance describes the methodology whereby participants are deliberately recruited for a study. In the IDRS and EDRS, this means participants are targeted according to their drug use history because they represent people who are most regularly involved in the illicit drug market.
Advantages of consistently sampling in this way:
- Data can be compared over time and place;
- Emerging trends can be identified, and;
- Because of their engagement with the market, participants can also provide timely information on new drugs, drug types and any associated issues.
Limitations of this approach:
- It is not representative of all illicit drug users- it’s not designed to be- but care needs to be taken when reporting and reading our findings;
- It is not necessarily an indication of trends in the general population, and;
- It cannot report on changes in the size of a drug market. For example; the number of users.
Who is a key expert?
Key Experts are people with regular contact with a group of illicit drug users or good knowledge of drug markets. We interview a number of key experts each year who can comment on particular drug types or groups of users. These include drug treatment personnel, NSP workers, outreach services, researchers, law enforcement personnel, nightclub industry workers- we look for as broad a range of perspectives as possible.
Why are regular ecstasy users used to monitor ecstasy and related drug markets?
The sentinel population chosen to monitor trends in ecstasy and related drugs (ERD) markets consists of people who engage in the regular use of the drug sold as ‘ecstasy’. Although a range of drugs fall into the category ‘ecstasy and related drugs’, ecstasy is a drug that can be considered one of the main illicit drugs used in Australia. It is the second most widely used illicit drug after cannabis with 3.5% of the population aged 14 years or older reporting recent use of ecstasy in the
2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey First Results (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2008a).
Where else has data from the IDRS and EDRS been published?
Aside from Annual Reports (published at both a National and State level) and quarterly Bulletins, data from the IDRS and EDRS is published in many other places including:
- Peer reviewed papers;
- Briefing documents to funders (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging) and other governmental agencies;
- Website;
- National and International conferences;
- Specialist National and International presentations, and;
- Media.