Impact of harm reduction practice on the use of non- prescribed performance- and image-enhancing drugs

Background and objective We describe the different performance-and image -enhancing drugs (PIEDs) in Australia. This study examined the impact of harm reduction practice in the PIEDs UserS' Health (PUSH!) Audit.Method The PUSH! Audit was a cross-sectional study performed from May 2019 to May 2021. With each audit submitted, general practitioners (GPs) were asked about the impact of their engagement with their patients.Results In all, 144 audit responses were collected, with 81.6% of audits showing a change in behaviour. The changes noted were better monitoring (71.3%), treatment of adverse effects (64.4%), modified use (44.4%) and stopped use (12.2%).Discussion This study asking GPs about outcomes with each of their patients using non-prescribed PIEDs has shown significant changes in behaviour. There has been no previous work done to evaluate the potential impact of such engagement. The findings of this exploratory study of the PUSH! Audit suggest harm reduction for people who use non-prescribed PIEDs when engaged with GP clinics.