DASAS is a free telephone service for doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to use. DASAS is designed specifically to support staff working in regional and rural areas in NSW but is available to any health professional. DASAS is a 24 hour telephone service to support doctors and health professionals exclusively with any assistance they may need with diagnosis and treatment of patients with alcohol and drug issues. DASAS is staffed by drug and alcohol advisors, who refer issues to on-call senior medical staff specialists if necessary to advise on clinical management of patients.

DASAS advises on the clinical diagnosis and management of patients with alcohol and other drug-related problems, and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Advice can include the safe management of intoxication and withdrawal of patients for many types of drugs, both legal and illegal; advice on the management of other clinical issues that may arise from drug and alcohol use, such as during pregnancy; advice on the interactions between medications and illicit drugs; referral and treatment options around NSW; and advice on methadone and other opioid treatments.

DASAS is a free telephone service for health professionals, funded by NSW Health and managed by St Vincent’s Hospital Alcohol and Drug Service in Sydney.