By Denise S. Cahill, Western Suburbs Weekly
THE State Government has rejected a funding request of $3 million over three years for Naltrexone advocate Dr George O’Neil’s Subiaco-based Fresh Start Recovery Program, because the treatment is still experimental.
Mental Health Minster Graham Jacobs said the Drug and Alcohol Office had provided more than $8 million to the program over the past eight years, including $1.153 million in the 2008-09 financial year, but rejected the extra request because Naltrexone implant treatment was not registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
“It is not the responsibility of the State Government to fund the prescription or administration of medications by practitioners in private practice,” Mr Jacobs said.
Dr O’Neil has appealed the decision to Premier Colin Barnett, who has agreed to a meeting at the end of this month.
Dr O’Neil claimed that doctors from the Government’s Next Step Drug and Alcohol Services were against Naltrexone treatment, creating a conflict of interest in considering his funding request.
The doctor, his family and friends have always funded the Naltrexone implants, which cost about $2 million a year, and have sold properties in the past to cover costs.
“We have had to sell properties to keep the clinic open and previously I’ve done it quietly, but not this time because it’s a ridiculous situation,” Dr O’Neil said.
“It costs about $6 million a year to run the clinic – $2 million on the implants, about $2.5 million in staff costs and another $1.5 million for running 10 houses and feeding people.
“Eight years ago, we had skeleton staff. Now we have 40 staff and about 200 volunteers, but have not seen an increase in funding.”
Mr Jacobs said the clinic received about $1 million annually for assessment, counselling and patient support services, which adequately covered these services.