This is a helpline for people;

• who are opioid dependent and want to know more about State policies and what is available for them, or
• who are currently on a pharmacotherapy program (treatment using pharmaceutical drugs) or want to be on a program.
• who want to know more about the system of opiate treatment in NSW.

MACS provides pharmacotherapy information (including methadone and buprenorphine), referrals, advice and a forum for pharmacotherapy concerns. MACS also maintains a central register of complaints and concerns about opiate treatment and providers and ensures NSW Health hears your issues to helps find solutions.. 

free call: 1800 642 428
(9.30am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday)

MACS was created to assist all pharmacotherapy patients in NSW and those wishing to join a program.  Listening to individual stories, recording their problems and treating patients with dignity and respect is the basis of MACS work.

MACS is a confidential, anonymous service giving voice to those who would like to raise their issues officially. MACS can provide a mediation service, working with both the patient and the provider in order to help clarify problems, or act as an intermediary, explaining the reasoning behind certain decisions and how they relate to the Opiate Treatment Guidelines.

MACS is often the first place opiate dependent people contact when trying to access treatment. MACS can provide the contact details of services that are available. The availability of MACS means individuals can be helped through an understanding of the various treatment options speedily.

MACS also provides feedback to other organisations involved with pharmacotherapy treatment including Justice Health, NSW Probation and Parole, the NSW User’s and AIDS Association (NUAA), the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) and NSW Health.

MACS collects information from callers and passes it to the most appropriate area for action. The information given to MACS includes common problems, such as difficulty in accessing prescribers to renew scripts; problems with the number of take-aways being given, and difficulties in accessing treatment.