What an addiction physician does
An addiction physician, or addiction medicine physician, is a medical specialist who treats alcohol and drug dependence as a medical condition. They assess the physical risk, manage withdrawal, prescribe where medication helps, and treat the health problems that sit alongside the use. In Australia the formal title is addiction medicine specialist. It is a recognised specialty, recorded on the national register of doctors.
Your GP may have used the term, or you may have found it while searching. This page explains what it means, how it differs from other kinds of help, and how people get an appointment.
The four things an addiction physician does
Assessment, withdrawal, medication and the rest of the picture
• Assessment: A conversation covering the substance itself, the pattern it has settled into, what earlier attempts to stop produced, and the state of the rest of your health.
• Managing withdrawal safely: Deciding whether stopping can be done at home with review, or whether it needs to happen in hospital — and then managing it.
• Medication where it helps: There are prescribed treatments that reduce cravings or make return to use less likely. They are not for everyone, and they are not a substitute for the rest of the care.
• The rest of the picture: Sleep, liver function, blood pressure, nutrition, mood, pain. These are often the reason the drinking or the use became difficult to stop, and they are treated alongside it rather than afterwards.
Ongoing addiction management means review over time rather than a single appointment. How ongoing review is arranged is described on the private outpatient treatment page.
What an addiction physician is not
Knowing the boundaries saves you an appointment you do not need.
• Not primarily psychotherapy: Psychologists and counsellors provide formal talking therapies. These can be an important part of treatment and often sit alongside medical care.
• Not an emergency service: Appointments are booked in advance. If there is an immediate medical or safety emergency, call 000 or attend an emergency department.
• Not a replacement for your GP: Your GP continues to look after your general health. With your permission, specialist care can be coordinated with them and a letter can be sent after your appointment.
How does an addiction physician become one?
Doctors first complete a medical degree and postgraduate medical training before undertaking specialist training in addiction medicine. Advanced Training in Addiction Medicine is a three-year program through the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine, part of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Doctors who complete the requirements for Fellowship use the letters FAChAM.
Addiction medicine and psychiatry: what is the difference?
The two specialties overlap, but their focus is different.
| FEATURE | ADDICTION MEDICINE | PSYCHIATRY |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Alcohol, drugs, dependence, withdrawal and addiction treatment along with the associated co-occurring medical conditions. | Mental illness, including depression, anxiety, trauma and psychosis. |
| Starting point | The substance use or addictive behaviour. | The mental health condition. |
| Prescribing | Yes | Yes |
In practice, both may be involved. Depression and heavy drinking, stimulant use and anxiety, or benzodiazepine dependence can occur together. Which specialist is most appropriate depends on what is driving the problem.
You can ask before you are sure. Call us on (07) 3180 6020 or email reception@drdouglasbrown.com.au. An appointment is a conversation, not a commitment to anything.
Signs of alcohol dependence
Doctors look less at a particular number of drinks and more at what has changed over time. Needing more alcohol for the same effect, feeling unwell when you stop, repeatedly trying to cut down without managing it, or drinking beginning to affect sleep, work, health, relationships or finances can all suggest a problem.
There is no single amount that defines dependence. Two people drinking the same quantity can be in very different situations. Searches like signs of alcohol dependence and signs of alcohol addiction usually come from that uncertainty. If some of these signs sound familiar, an assessment can help work out what is happening and what, if anything, needs to change.
If you are concerned about what happens physically when you stop drinking, see the alcohol withdrawal page.
Questions worth taking to an appointment
If you decide to see your GP or a specialist, it can help to write down the questions you want answered beforehand.
• Is what I have described a problem, and how would you describe it?
• If I stopped, would it be safe to do at home?
• Is there a medication that might help, and what would it do?
• What else should be checked — sleep, liver health, blood pressure or mood?
• If I do nothing for now, what should make me seek help sooner?
Getting an appointment
The referral
To claim a Medicare rebate for an appointment with an addiction medicine specialist, you will need a valid referral. Most referrals come from a GP. If you do not have a regular GP, another GP can write the referral. Ask for a referral to Dr Douglas Brown, Addiction Medicine Specialist — some practices record it simply as an addiction specialist, which is the same thing. Once the referral has been received, reception can advise you about appointment availability.
Fees and Medicare
Eligible specialist consultations attract a Medicare rebate. The fee and rebate depend on the type of consultation provided, and reception will explain these when you book. Reports and some appointments provided for purposes other than treatment may not attract a Medicare rebate. Private health insurance does not generally cover specialist consultations outside hospital.
Telehealth
Telehealth appointments may be available when they are clinically appropriate. Reception can advise whether telehealth is suitable for your circumstances.
Where to go next
• If you are concerned about what happens physically when you stop drinking — alcohol withdrawal.
• For ongoing treatment outside hospital — private outpatient treatment.
• If you have served in the ADF and hold a DVA card — veterans and DVA.
• If you are not sure which applies — call us on (07) 3180 6020 and ask.
Support available in Australia
These services are free and independent of this practice. They are worth having whether or not you ever call us.
• 000 — for a medical emergency. This practice is not an emergency service.
• Adis Queensland 1800 177 833 — confidential Queensland alcohol and drug advice, twenty-four hours.
Where this information comes from
The clinical statements on this page follow current Australian guidance, and the registration details come from the national register. Checked on 9 September 2026:
- Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems (2021) — commissioned by the Australian Government and aligned with the NHMRC guidelines.
- Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol, National Health and Medical Research Council (2020).
- Medicare Benefits Schedule, Australian Government Department of Health.
- Register of practitioners, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency — registration and specialty.
Guidance changes. Each link should be checked against the current published version before it is relied on.
Reviewed by Dr Douglas Brown, MD FRACGP FAChAM, addiction medicine specialist, AHPRA MED0002140538. Last reviewed: 9 September 2026.