Canadian-trained GP and harm reduction advocate, Dr David Gunn (FRACGP, FCFP, MBBS), presents on practical approaches to prescribing Schedule 8 medications, including opioids and cannabinoids.
Drawing on over 20 years of experience in emergency, long-term, and complex general practice, Dr Gunn explores the role of harm reduction in general practice as a model of care—one that can be applied across all Schedule 8 medications and other drugs with potential for dependence or misuse.
This session will equip healthcare professionals with safer, patient-centred frameworks for managing complex presentations across chronic pain, polypharmacy, and comorbidities.
Topics discussed:
- What is Harm Reduction: Principles and practical examples
- Safer approaches to Schedule 8 prescribing in general practice
- How to navigate complex cases with confidence
- Supporting continuity where access to specialists is limited
- Q&A with Dr Gunn
Watch below
About the Speaker
Dr David Gunn (FRACGP, FCFP, MBBS)
Dr David Gunn is a Canadian-trained GP with over 20 years of clinical experience spanning emergency medicine, long-term care, opioid agonist therapy (OAT), and complex general practice. Based in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, he works primarily with patients living with chronic pain, trauma, substance use, polypharmacy, and mental health challenges—often in combination.
He advocates for the role of the Harm Reduction GP: a clinician who blends generalist skills with deep expertise in Schedule 8 prescribing, pharmacology, and complex-case care. These GPs often care for complex patients who fall between services, providing stabilisation and continuity where specialist access is limited.
Dr Gunn has contributed to RACGP-accredited education, national Schedule 8 policy discussions, and the development of a low-dose oral cannabinoid medication. He works within a multidisciplinary team alongside addiction specialists, physicians, and psychologists. He is also a long-time supporter of Harm Reduction Australia and other initiatives aimed at improving access, safety, and dignity in healthcare.
